The Board found that the Veteran's terminal esophageal dysplasia, Barrett's esophagus, and Alzheimer's disease were not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The gastrointestinal bleeding was deemed to be a result of his pre-existing conditions, including Barrett's esophagus, which did not have a direct link to his military service.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran's terminal condition was due to his own actions and pre-existing conditions rather than any service-connected disability or medication prescribed by VA.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastrointestinal bleeding, Esophageal dysplasia, Barrett's esophagus, Alzheimer's disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 15, 2013
- Citation
- 1305689
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 1305689.
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 the claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there is no evidence to support a causal relationship between the Veteran's military service and his death from gastrointestinal bleeding and hypertensive cardiovascular disease.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's prostate disability. The claims for esophageal cancer and Barrett's esophagus remain denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's increased rating claim for GERD with Barrett's esophagus should be remanded due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error and regulatory or statutory duties.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service connection claims for hypertension, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, GERD, Barrett's esophagus, and arrhythmia are remanded due to pre-decisional errors in obtaining necessary medical opinions.
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