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
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection and initial rating of various conditions, including Crohn's Disease, GERD, left knee disorder, and chronic sinusitis with allergic rhinitis, to obtain additional medical evidence.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, awarded a 70 percent rating, and granted TDIU effective January 1, 2017.
- Granted
Service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, due to ischemic heart disease and coronary heart disease, is granted based on presumed exposure to herbicides during service at U-Tapao RTAFB in Thailand.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities (secondary to hypertension), but denied service connection for Crohn's Disease.
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