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.
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The Board denied service connection for chronic sinusitis and remanded the claims for COPD, pulmonary emphysema, GERD, hypertension, and hypertensive CKD due to inadequate VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for atrial fibrillation, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, and hypertension as additional evidence has been submitted that requires further development of the record.
- Partly granted
The Board granted the Veteran's applications to reopen claims for service connection for mononucleosis, pulmonary emphysema, and severe tooth loss. The claim for TDIU was denied as moot due to a combined 100% rating.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for pulmonary emphysema, gastroparesis, and granulomatous hepatitis due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service or toxic exposure. The claim for left ventricular systolic dysfunction was remanded.
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