The Veteran's service connection claim for a heart disability was denied as the evidence did not show that his condition began during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury. The TDIU claim was also denied because the Veteran has other service-connected disabilities and does not have a combined rating of 70% or more, which would allow him to qualify for a TDIU based on disability alone.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not establish that the Veteran's heart disability began during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury. The Veteran also has other service-connected disabilities (prostate cancer, tinnitus, PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder) which preclude a TDIU based on disability alone.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disability, sinus bradycardia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- October 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20069956
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,500 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20069956.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's hypertension was granted service connection effective August 10, 2022. The heart disability was granted secondary to the hypertension.,An initial rating of 30% for the heart disability was granted in May 2023 and increased to 60% since October 22, 2024.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's heart condition is related to service, specifically his combat service in Afghanistan. The AOJ must obtain a new VA examination and provide an adequate medical opinion.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a heart disability, finding that it is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disability, heart disability, and rheumatoid arthritis due to procedural errors in obtaining necessary medical opinions.
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