The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus contributed substantially or materially to his death from arteriosclerotic heart disease. Therefore, the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.
The deciding factor: The expert medical opinion concluded that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD may have caused or aggravated his hypertension, which in turn contributed to his arteriosclerotic heart disease and subsequent death.
- Claimed conditions
- PTSD, hearing loss, tinnitus, atherosclerotic heart disease, cardiopulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus, arthritis, hypertension, dementia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 19, 2011
- Citation
- 1115195
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 1115195.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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