The Board found that the cause of death, arteriosclerotic heart disease, was not incurred in service and did not contribute substantially or materially to cause the veteran's death. The appellant's claim for Dependents' Educational Assistance (Chapter 35) was also denied.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence showing that the veteran had localized edema during captivity, which would be required under VA regulations for presumptive service connection of ischemic heart disease as a former POW. The cause of death and contributing condition were first shown years after separation from service and there is no causal relationship established.
- Claimed conditions
- Arteriosclerotic heart disease, Cardiac arrhythmia, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 3, 2003
- Citation
- 0302046
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 0302046.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a rating higher than 60 percent for the Veteran's heart disabilities and granted service connection for major vascular neurocognitive disorder, but denied special monthly compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(l).
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, as none of the listed causes were related to his period of active duty or presumed exposure to herbicides.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 100 percent disability rating for arteriosclerotic heart disease from April 19, 2021 to September 5, 2024 and denied a higher rating thereafter.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple disabilities, including thoracolumbar spine disability, bilateral knee and hip disabilities, heart disease, erectile dysfunction, COPD, and denied an initial rating higher than 50 percent for MDD with GAD.
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