The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death (congestive heart failure, generalized atherosclerosis, and diabetes mellitus) was not caused by or aggravated by service-connected disability. The veteran's anxiety disorder did not contribute substantially to his death.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence linking the veteran’s cardiovascular issues, diabetes, or atherosclerosis to his military service. His anxiety disorder alone could not be shown to have contributed substantially and materially to cause his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Congestive Heart Failure, Generalized Atherosclerosis, Diabetes Mellitus
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 18, 2003
- Citation
- 0335613
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 0335613.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and a psychiatric disability due to insufficient evidence of the severity required for higher ratings.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for congestive heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and pulmonary fibrosis as these conditions were not related to the Veteran's service, including his exposure to Agent Orange.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, sleep apnea, and erectile dysfunction.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for his diabetes mellitus, a higher rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder, and a total disability rating due to service-connected disabilities.
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