The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease, finding that the preponderance of the evidence does not support an etiological link between the current heart-related diagnoses and in-service chest pain.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the Veteran's coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, and valvular heart conditions are less likely than not related to his Air Force service, as the onset of these conditions occurred years after leaving the service. Additionally, there is no evidence of in-service herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- ischemic heart disease, coronary arteriosclerosis, coronary artery disease (CAD), valvular heart disease, atrial fibrillation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 30, 2021
- Citation
- 21062434
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal regarding the Veteran's entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for atrial fibrillation is remanded due to unclear evidence on whether continuous medication is required for its control.
- Partly granted
The Board grants service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus began during his period of active duty service. The claims for ischemic heart disease, aortic valve replacement, status post aortic stenosis, and peripheral vascular disease with popliteal aneurysm are remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a 100 percent rating for valvular heart disease based on MET testing showing that at a workload of 3 METs or less, the condition results in fatigue and breathlessness.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for left foot bursitis and coronary artery disease, as well as special monthly compensation based on housebound status.
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