The Veteran's tension headaches are now rated at 50% effective December 20, 2024. Service connection for valvular heart disease is granted with a 60% rating from December 18, 2015 to November 5, 2024 and a 100% rating thereafter. The Veteran's service connection claim for CKD remains pending.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the Veteran's tension headaches have resulted in very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability since December 20, 2024.
- Claimed conditions
- Tension Headaches, Valvular Heart Disease, Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- January 28, 2026
- Citation
- A26008151
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 A26008151.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Granted
The Veteran is granted SMC at the rate of 50% for his service-connected conditions from April 20, 2020 to June 7, 2021.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection and earlier effective dates for tension headaches and lower back condition. The remaining issues of service connection for eye, neck, persistent cough, TBI residuals, and bilateral leg conditions are REMANDED.
- Denied
The Veteran's CKD did not result in a GFR score of 59 mL/min/1.73 m2 or lower for at least three consecutive months during any 12-month period, nor did it require regular routine dialysis or make him eligible for a kidney transplant. Therefore, the claim for an initial compensable rating for CKD is denied.
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