Citation Nr: 18153098
Decision Date: 11/27/18	Archive Date: 11/27/18

DOCKET NO. 16-50 890
DATE:	November 27, 2018
ORDER
Service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease) is denied.
FINDING OF FACT
The preponderance of the evidence of record is against finding that the Veteran has, or has had at any time during the appeal, a current diagnosis of arteriosclerotic heart disease.
CONCLUSION OF LAW
The criteria for entitlement to service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease are not met.  38 U.S.C. §§ 1131, 5107(b); 38 C.F.R. §§ 3.102, 3.303.
REASONS AND BASES FOR FINDING AND CONCLUSION
The Veteran served on active duty from October 1984 to October 1987.  This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a February 2015 rating decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO).
Entitlement to service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease).
The Veteran contends that he is entitled to service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease as secondary to service connected hypertension.
The Board finds the preponderance of the evidence of record is against finding that the Veteran has, or has had at any time during the period on appeal, a diagnosis of arteriosclerotic heart disease.  38 U.S.C. §§ 1131, 5107(b); 38 C.F.R. §§ 3.102, 3.303.
The existence of a current disability is the cornerstone of a claim for VA disability compensation.  38 U.S.C. § 1131; Degmetich v. Brown, 104 F.3d 1328 (1997).  In the absence of proof of a current disability, there can be no valid claim.  Boyer v. West, 210 F.3d 1351 (Fed. Cir. 2000); Brammer v. Derwinski, 3 Vet. App. 223 (1992).
The medical evidence of record, to include service treatment records (STRs), VA medical records, private medical records, and records provided by the Social Security Administration (SSA), reflect no signs, symptoms, or findings for arteriosclerotic heart disease, either currently, or within a year of discharge from active duty service.  The Veteran’s STRs show no complaints of, treatment for, or diagnosis of heart disease during active duty service.
The Veteran’s VA medical records dated between October 2002 and December 2016 show no findings for coronary artery disease/arteriosclerotic heart disease, but rather, show a regular heart rate and rhythm, without murmurs.  VA pre operative examination reports from July 2010 and November 2011 indicate the Veteran did not have coronary artery disease.  VA medical records from October 2002, July 2011, and August 2011 also reflect no findings or diagnosis of heart disease.
A January 2015 VA examination indicated the evidence did not show any heart conditions related to the Veteran’s service connected hypertension.
To the extent that the Veteran believes that he has arteriosclerotic heart disease, he is not competent to diagnose the condition, as it is a medical determination that requires knowledge of the coronary system’s disorders and diseases along with an evaluation of relevant objective findings.  The diagnosis is not susceptible to lay observation.  Jandreau v. Nicholson, 492 F.3d 1372, 1377 (Fed. Cir. 2007).
On balance, the weight of the evidence is against the claim.
Accordingly, the claim is denied.  There is no doubt to resolve.  38 U.S.C. § 5107(b).
 
C.A. SKOW
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	Gillian A. Flynn, Associate Counsel