The veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent disabling for accrued benefits purposes. Service connection for hypertension/arteriosclerotic heart disease as secondary to PTSD is granted, but service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease and the cause of death are denied.
The deciding factor: PTSD symptoms do not meet criteria for an increased rating under either old or new rating criteria due to overall social and occupational impairment. Service connection for hypertension/arteriosclerotic heart disease as secondary to PTSD is granted based on evidence showing a relationship between PTSD and these conditions, but service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease and the cause of death are not supported by the evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Hypertension, Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 24, 2001
- Citation
- 0114581
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0114581.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 27, 2019 for the grant of service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no earlier claim document in the claims file and the Veteran did not timely perfect an appeal.
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