The veteran's death was caused by anoxic encephalopathy due to or as a consequence of bypass and postoperative bleed, with ischemic heart disease listed as the underlying cause. The service-connected left knee disability is considered a contributory cause of his death.
The deciding factor: The VA physician concluded that the veteran's osteoarthritis in his left knee precluded him from regular significant participation in exercise, which contributed to the worsening of his ischemic heart disease and hastened his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, Hemorrhoids
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 21, 2001
- Citation
- 0121257
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 0121257.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims for service connection for hemorrhoids and tinnitus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of increased rating for back disability, service connection for sleep apnea, left heel, and hemorrhoids, as well as entitlement to a TDIU prior to August 1, 2025, for additional development.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and hemorrhoids, but remanded the claim for a right knee disability.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for higher ratings on all claims due to untimely Notices of Disagreement.
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