The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, finding that there was no direct or secondary relationship to his military service or service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner provided negative opinions regarding both direct and secondary service connection, citing medical literature and noting anatomical changes in the valve that cannot be caused by anxiety or malaria.
- Claimed conditions
- heart condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20065815
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for GERD, a heart condition, hypertension, a kidney condition, and obstructive sleep apnea as there is no evidence of current disabilities related to these conditions or that they are etiologically linked to the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a new medical opinion to address whether the Appellant's heart condition had onset during his period of ACDUTRA service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for cervical spine condition, diabetes mellitus, heart condition, lumbar spine condition, and urinary frequency and voiding condition as there was no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service incurrence or aggravation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter to obtain a medical opinion on the nature and etiology of the Veteran's heart condition, considering potential service connection under the PACT Act.
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