The Veteran's initial rating for valvular heart disease was denied, but a higher rating of 60 percent is granted since October 29, 2012. The claim for post-surgical scars associated with heart surgery resulted in denial of a compensable rating.,A TDIU claim for the period prior to December 27, 2012, was denied due to lack of evidence showing inability to secure or follow gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's valvular heart disease did not meet the criteria for a higher rating than 30 percent before October 29, 2012. However, since that date, his condition has worsened and he meets the criteria for a 60 percent rating.,There is no evidence showing that the Veteran was unable to secure or follow gainful employment prior to December 27, 2012.
- Claimed conditions
- valvular heart disease, post-operative scars associated with heart surgery
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 14, 2024
- Citation
- 24011982
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 24011982.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for valvular heart disease, peripheral vascular disease of the right and left legs, and hypertension were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings under the applicable rating criteria.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating higher than 30 percent for cardiomegaly with cardiac hypertrophy and valvular heart disease has been dismissed due to the appellant withdrawing the appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for clarification on whether his valvular heart disease is related to his service-connected supraventricular tachycardia, and because the TDIU claim is intertwined with the increased rating claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, specifically failing to obtain a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's valvular heart disease and coronary artery calcification is caused or aggravated by his service-connected hypertension.
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