The Veteran's cause of death was determined to be adult respiratory distress syndrome, with diabetes mellitus type I and arteriosclerotic heart disease as contributing conditions. The VA examiner found no evidence suggesting a positive correlation between the Veteran's PTSD and his development of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ARDS, or arteriosclerotic heart disease.
The deciding factor: The August 2014 VA examination report determined that the Veteran's principal cause of death was ARDS secondary to cardiovascular disease from uncontrolled diabetes mellitus type I. The examiner opined that PTSD did not cause or aggravate hypertension, diabetes mellitus type I, arteriosclerotic heart disease, or ARDS.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Diabetes mellitus type I, Arteriosclerotic heart disease, Adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 6, 2014
- Citation
- 1449542
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 1449542.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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