The Board granted an initial rating of 30 percent for cardiomyopathy and heart murmur with coronary artery disease, denied a compensable rating for hypertension, and denied an increased rating for degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's heart condition warranted a 30 percent rating based on evidence of cardiac hypertrophy and workload greater than 5 METs but not greater than 7 METs resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, or syncope. The hypertension did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating, as diastolic pressure was predominantly below 100 and systolic pressure was predominantly below 160. The lumbar spine disability did not warrant an increased rating based on the evidence of forward flexion to 90 degrees and extension endpoint to 30 degrees with objective evidence of pain on motion.
- Claimed conditions
- Cardiomyopathy and heart murmur with coronary artery disease (CAD), Degenerative arthritis (DA) and degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine, Hypertension (HTN)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- December 2, 2025
- Citation
- A25103563
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,062 · Granted: 34% (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 A25103563.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
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