The VA compensation medical opinion determined that the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute to his death from interstitial lung disease. The primary cause of death was listed as interstitial lung disease, which caused acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) resulting in the Veteran's demise.
The deciding factor: The January 2011 VA compensation physician concluded that the service-connected heart/circulatory conditions did not cause or contribute to the Veteran's death from interstitial lung disease.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertensive heart disease, arteriosclerotic heart disease with atrial fibrillation/flutter, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, loss of one-third right ear auricle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 7, 2012
- Citation
- 1230697
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 1230697.
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
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- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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