The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his heart condition and his military service or a service-connected lung disability. The decision also noted conflicting medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran’s lung disability aggravated his heart disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the Veteran's heart disability and his military service, as well as insufficient evidence to support a finding that his service-connected lung disability caused or aggravated his heart disability.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 26, 2020
- Citation
- 20069085
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 a heart disability as the evidence did not support that it began during active service or was related to an in-service injury.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an initial rating higher than 30 percent for the service-connected heart disability to correct an error by the AOJ in not informing the Veteran of his right to a pre-decisional hearing.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bronchial asthma, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and a heart disability associated with the appellant's service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War. The remaining claims were remanded to correct pre-decisional errors.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for hypothyroidism, DVT, and a heart disability as secondary to residuals of acute renal failure. The claim for an initial compensable rating for acute hepatocellular necrosis was denied.
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