The Board found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause his death or contribute substantially to it. The cause of death was listed as irreversible bradyarrhythmias due to cor pulmonale and severe pulmonary hypertension, with arterial hypertension contributing but not causing death.
The deciding factor: Service-connected conditions did not cause the veteran's death; they were not the immediate or underlying cause of his death.
- Claimed conditions
- irreversible bradyarrhythmias, cor pulmonale, severe pulmonary hypertension, arterial hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 26, 2005
- Citation
- 0523625
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0523625.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the claims for entitlement to service connection for the Veteran's cause of death and entitlement to DIC under 38 U.S.C. §1151, as there was no evidence that any of the listed conditions were related to the Veteran's active service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development of evidence, including obtaining outstanding medical records.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his acute myocardial infarction, pulmonary fibrosis, congestive heart failure, and arterial hypertension were not related to his military service.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure during active service in the Republic of Vietnam. The other claims were remanded for further development.
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