The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, to include arteriosclerotic heart disease and nonischemic coronary artery disease, as there was no evidence that his heart condition began during active military service or resulted from toxic exposures.
The deciding factor: The April 2024 examiner opined that the Veteran's heart disability was less likely than not caused by any toxic exposure risk activities due to a lack of significant coronary artery disease and the presence of atypical chest pain without a diagnosis, which could not be related to toxic exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- arteriosclerotic heart disease, nonischemic coronary artery disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 24, 2025
- Citation
- A25054561
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a separate initial 20 percent rating for right knee meniscal tear based on limitation of knee flexion, and an initial 60 percent rating for arteriosclerotic heart disease. It also granted TDIU due to service-connected residuals of prostate cancer.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and higher ratings for his service-connected conditions, as well as a TDIU.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a heart disability, to include arteriosclerotic heart disease, CAD, valvular heart disease, ventricular arrhythmia, and superventricular arrhythmia, based on the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Okinawa.
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