The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, concluding that no service-connected disability contributed to his death. The veteran died from cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus, but these conditions were not present during service or within one year after service.
The deciding factor: The veteran was a former prisoner of war who did not have edema of the legs or beri-beri heart disease, which would trigger presumptive service connection under VA regulations. His cardiovascular and diabetes mellitus conditions were not shown to be related to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertensive cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 7, 2004
- Citation
- 0412018
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 0412018.
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.
- Dismissed
The claim for entitlement to service connection for hypotension was dismissed, and the issue of entitlement to service connection for hypertensive cardiovascular disease was remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus to obtain further medical opinions regarding their potential relationship to toxic exposures during active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and bilateral knee strain to obtain additional medical opinions.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for hypertension, atherosclerosis, and diabetes mellitus; granted service connection for erectile dysfunction and skin cancer; and restored the 10 percent rating for hypertension.
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