The Board found that the veteran's cause of death, ventricular fibrillation due to coronary heart disease, was not caused by or related to his active service. The contributing condition, Crohn's disease, also did not have a direct link to his military service or any service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence showing that the veteran's cardiac condition or Crohn's disease were causally linked to his active service or any service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Coronary Heart Disease, Crohn's Disease, Ventricular Fibrillation
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 10, 2005
- Citation
- 0503644
Veterans Law Judge
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0503644.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted a 30 percent rating for coronary heart disease effective February 10, 2021. The Veteran's condition did not meet the criteria for an earlier effective date or increased rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was caused by his conditions (Ventricular Fibrillation, Cardiac Arrest, and Heart Failure), which the Board finds may have been exacerbated or worsened due to VA treatment. The Board is remanding the case for a new medical opinion to determine if VA negligence contributed to the Veteran's death.
- Granted
The Board has restored service connection for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and remanded the issue of service connection for Crohn's Disease.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for Coronary Heart Disease and Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 as the evidence did not show an in-service injury or disease related to these conditions. The Veteran's claims were also not supported by exposure to herbicide agents.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.