The Board denied the claim of entitlement to service-connection for cause of death, finding that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not contribute substantially or materially to his death.
The deciding factor: The VA physician concluded that the most likely substantial material contributors were Rheumatoid Arthritis and hyperlipidemia which both cause changes in the arterial blood vessels leading to heart attack (myocardial infarction). The service-connected conditions manifested no changes in the status, which would contribute to or cause death in the veteran based on the claims file review.
- Claimed conditions
- acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, rheumatoid arthritis, hyperlipidemia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 26, 2002
- Citation
- 0203870
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 0203870.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis disability rating is being remanded for additional development due to significant weight loss and anemia.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for coronary artery disease is being remanded due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran meets the basic medical eligibility criteria for PCAFC benefits due to his need for personal care services based on symptoms or residuals of neurological or other impairment or injury. However, further clinical evaluation is needed to determine if participation in the program is in the Veteran's best interest.
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