The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not contribute substantially and materially to his death or hasten it. The cause of death was listed as acute myocardial infarction, with other significant conditions contributing to death including sinus node dysfunction, hypoxic encephalopathy, and aspiration pneumonia.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion concluded that there was no direct causal connection between the veteran's service-connected disabilities and his ultimate cause of death (acute myocardial infarction).
- Claimed conditions
- Acute myocardial infarction, Sinus node dysfunction, Hypoxic encephalopathy, Aspiration pneumonia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 2, 2005
- Citation
- 0520823
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 0520823.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran died due to an acute myocardial infarction. The Board has identified errors in the toxic exposure documentation and requests a remand for further investigation and medical opinion regarding the cause of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran's death was caused by an intraabdominal hemorrhage, acute myocardial infarction, and acute renal failure. The appeal is remanded to obtain a medical opinion on whether these conditions are related to in-service exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for acute myocardial infarction has been dismissed as the January 2026 VA Form 10182, which appealed the October 2025 rating decision, was received concurrently with a supplemental claim (VA Form 20-0995).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to acute myocardial infarction, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. The claims for heart disability and hypertension were also denied as they are not considered service-connected.
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