The Board found that the veteran's service-connected hearing loss did not contribute to his cause of death, as there was no evidence linking it to any cardiovascular conditions or ulcers. The Board concluded that the veteran's hearing loss exacerbated his hypertension but did not play a substantial role in causing his cardiac death.
The deciding factor: The Board found that while the veteran's hearing loss contributed to his hypertension and may have been a factor in exacerbating his coronary artery disease, it was unlikely to be a substantial or material cause of his cardiac death.
- Claimed conditions
- Perforated duodenal ulcer, Multisystem organ failure, Coronary bypass surgery, Coronary artery disease, Myocardial infarction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 2, 2000
- Citation
- 0014531
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 0014531.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, asthma/lung disease, vision disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, leukocytosis, kidney disease/kidney stones, enlarged prostate, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative joint disease and intervertebral disc syndrome, cervical spine; cervical spine radiculopathy, right upper extremity; coronary artery disease; and right ear hearing loss.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's coronary artery disease for all periods on appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter of entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to a lack of sufficient evidence addressing all contentions.
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