The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to myocardial infarction and hypertensive heart disease, finding no evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The DIC claim was also denied as there was insufficient evidence showing a causal relationship between the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and his fatal condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that while the Veteran had a history of PTSD, which may have contributed to his social isolation and anxiety, there is no medical evidence linking his fatal myocardial infarction or hypertensive heart disease directly to his military service. The appellant's contentions were not supported by competent medical evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Myocardial infarction, Hypertensive heart disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 3, 2009
- Citation
- 0912444
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 0912444.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his myocardial infarction and COPD to his military service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction, status post stent placement, as well as obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's heart conditions and PTSD were rated at their highest levels (100% for heart conditions, 70% for PTSD) effective December 11, 2019. Additionally, the Veteran was granted benefits related to his disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for hypertension (HTN) and has remanded the issues of service connection for cardiomegaly and hypertensive heart disease.
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