The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking the obesity and weight gain to the fatal myocardial infarction. The preponderance of the evidence did not support a causal relationship between the veteran's schizophrenia and his death.
The deciding factor: The VA cardiologist concluded that the veteran's severe obesity was not a major risk factor for the development of coronary artery disease, making it less likely than not that the veteran's 'severe obesity' caused or significantly contributed to his death from acute myocardial infarction.
- Claimed conditions
- paranoid type schizophrenia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 10, 2006
- Citation
- 0613639
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 0613639.
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 has remanded the case due to insufficient information to decide on the appeal regarding whether the Veteran's pre-existing schizophrenia was aggravated by active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of service connection for paranoid type schizophrenia due to an inability to locate the veteran's service medical records and a need for additional evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to a lack of Social Security Administration (SSA) records and other relevant documents.
- Remanded (sent back)
The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his paranoid type schizophrenia is being remanded due to the need for additional VA medical records and a comprehensive psychiatric examination.
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