The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected major affective disorder with generalized anxiety disorder had a material causal role in his death, leading to the grant of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: A private medical opinion concluded that the Veteran's history was compatible with an upper GI hemorrhage and that the combination of his service-connected psychiatric medication (Citalopram) and osteoarthritis medication (Naproxen) produced a synergistic effect leading to the GI bleed, which ultimately caused his death.
- Claimed conditions
- major affective disorder with generalized anxiety disorder, undetermined natural causes due to or a consequence of a massive gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 11, 2014
- Citation
- 1409903
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 1409903.
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
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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