The Board has determined that the veteran's death was not caused by or substantially contributed to by his service-connected disability, specifically rheumatic heart disease. The medical evidence does not support a conclusion that these cardiac-related disorders were caused by service.
The deciding factor: The VA physician concluded that it was less likely than not that the cause of the veteran's death was related to his service-connected rheumatic fever or residuals of rheumatic fever.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatic heart disease, congestive heart failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- November 29, 2000
- Citation
- 0030975
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 0030975.
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 for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a heart condition to obtain an addendum opinion from a VA clinician regarding whether the Veteran's current heart condition is related to service, including in-service treatment for hypertension.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding no evidence that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and a new opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death.
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