The Board found that the veteran's service-connected hypertension did not cause or contribute substantially to his death from renal failure due to hepatic failure and metastatic esophageal cancer.
The deciding factor: Hypertension, while present for many years, was not shown to be a direct cause of the veteran's fatal condition. The Board concluded that it contributed substantially to the propensity for kidney damage but did not immediately cause his acute renal decompensation.
- Claimed conditions
- Renal failure, Hepatic failure, Metastatic esophageal cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 8, 2003
- Citation
- 0319610
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 0319610.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there are duty to assist errors in the current decision and remands the case for further development, including obtaining an ILER and a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cause of death.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for cause of death, finding that his service-connected conditions did not contribute to his death. The evidence showed well-controlled heart symptoms prior to death and no causal relationship between anxiety and cardiopulmonary disease or renal failure.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there is no evidence to support a causal relationship between the Veteran's military service and his death.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding that it was related to in-service symptoms indicating kidney disease caused by systemic lupus erythematosus.
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