The Veteran's cause of death is listed as old and recent myocardial infarction, with right coronary occlusion as the underlying cause. The appellant contends that his service-connected GERD masked symptoms of angina pectoralis and contributed to his hypertension which developed shortly after discharge from active duty.
The deciding factor: A VA cardiologist will be consulted to determine if the Veteran's hypertension had origins in service, and whether it played a role in his cause of death. The examiner should also assess if GERD potentially masked symptoms of angina pectoralis.
- Claimed conditions
- old myocardial infarction, right coronary occlusion, arteriosclerosis, pulmonary emphysema
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 8, 2010
- Citation
- 1025458
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 1025458.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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 claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD), obstructive sleep apnea, headaches, old myocardial infarction, and stable angina due to insufficient evidence or lack of proper examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for pulmonary emphysema is granted. The Board also remanded the claims for left and right shoulder disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability and heart surgery scar was granted with an effective date of May 29, 2013. The rating assigned is 60% for the heart disability.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease, including atherosclerotic heart disease of the coronary artery and old myocardial infarction, on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.
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