The Board finds that the Veteran's cause of death, heart failure due to cardiomyopathy, is not associated with his active service or his service-connected PTSD. The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's PTSD aggravated his pre-existing heart condition.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that it was less likely than not that the Veteran's PTSD worsened his heart disease beyond its natural progression.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart failure, Cardiomyopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 5, 2010
- Citation
- 1008262
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 1008262.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for heart failure and obstructive sleep apnea, finding no current disability in both cases.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for hypertension, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure with ICD placement, diabetes mellitus, gastroesophageal reflux disease, tinnitus, sinus tachycardia, and cardiomyopathy. The claims for irritable bowel syndrome and an acquired psychiatric disorder were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for a liver disorder and kidney disorder, while remanding claims for cardiomyopathy, right lower extremity disorder, left lower extremity disorder, hypertension, systemic lupus erythematosus, diverticulosis in the sigmoid colon, and left nose scar status post basal cell carcinoma removal.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for a liver disorder and kidney disorder, while remanding claims for service connection for cardiomyopathy, right lower extremity disorder, left lower extremity disorder, hypertension, systemic lupus erythematosus, diverticulosis in the sigmoid colon, and left nose scar status post basal cell carcinoma removal.
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