The Board denied service connection for a heart problem, including bicuspid aortic valve and non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), as there was no evidence of a current disability that began during service or is related to an in-service injury.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support the claim for service connection because the Veteran's heart problems were congenital defects, and there was no indication of any superimposed disease or injury during military service. Additionally, non-obstructive CAD did not manifest within the applicable presumptive period.
- Claimed conditions
- heart problem, bicuspid aortic valve, non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 4, 2024
- Citation
- A24071304
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.
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The veteran withdrew all pending appeals, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review these issues.
- Partly granted
The appeal for COPD was denied. The claims for eye injury and non-obstructive CAD were remanded for readjudication, with service connection for non-obstructive CAD granted under the PACT Act.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an aortic disorder to include bicuspid aortic valve, aneurysm, and deteriorating valve secondary to his service-connected sleep apnea due to lack of evidence showing that these conditions are proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected condition.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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