Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Denied

The Board found that the veteran's arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which caused his death in December 1997, was not incurred or aggravated by service. The appellant's statements regarding a heart attack and hypertension during service were deemed without probative value due to their lack of contemporaneous nature and reliance on medical records from service providers.

The deciding factor: The Board determined that the veteran did not have hypertension or a heart condition in service, and there was no evidence linking his arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease to service-connected disabilities or any other service-related exposure. The appellant's statements were considered unreliable due to their lack of contemporaneity with the events they described.

Claimed conditions
Arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
July 5, 2001
Citation
0117778

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 0117778.

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.

Free starter guide for your own claim

Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.

We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.

We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.

This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.