The VA Regional Office denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, citing a lack of objective medical evidence linking his heart disease to his service-connected PTSD. The appellant and her representative provided additional medical opinions suggesting a link between PTSD and heart disease.
The deciding factor: There was insufficient objective medical evidence to support a direct relationship between the veteran's service-connected PTSD and his fatal heart disease.
- Claimed conditions
- Myocardial failure, Coronary insufficiency, Hypertensive arteriosclerotic heart disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 24, 2001
- Citation
- 0119243
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 0119243.
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 service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between any of his fatal conditions and his military service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and etiology of the Veteran's heart disabilities, including whether they are related to his service in South West Asia. Additional medical opinions are needed.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's death was caused by myocardial failure, atherosclerotic vascular disease, and cerebral vascular disease. There is no evidence to support that any of these conditions were service-connected.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate analysis of the appellant's testimony regarding the Veteran’s malaria symptoms and their impact on his death. The VA examiner is requested to provide a supplemental opinion considering new evidence submitted by the appellant's representative.
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