The Board denied service connection for a heart disability, to include ischemic heart disease and aortic valve disease with aortic valve replacement, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.
The deciding factor: The evidence of record does not persuasively weigh against finding that the Veteran's diagnosis of aortic valve disease with aortic valve replacement began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The VA examiners opined that it is less likely than not that the Veteran's aortic insufficiency was incurred in or caused by service.
- Claimed conditions
- ischemic heart disease, aortic valve disease with aortic valve replacement
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2025
- Citation
- 25002785
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,861 · Granted: 27% (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 25002785.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, including ischemic heart disease. The evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is granted as presumptively related to his service in the Gulf War, specifically aboard the USS Chanticleer and USS Mataco.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, right lower extremity peripheral artery disease, left lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and hypertension as the evidence did not establish an in-service event or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a heart disability prior to his death is granted as he was entitled to accrued benefits due to the September 1994 claim, which included ischemic heart disease, a covered herbicide disease.
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