The Veteran's cerebrovascular accident, claimed as a stroke, is not service-connected due to lack of evidence linking it to his service-connected diabetes and coronary artery disease.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran’s stroke was most likely caused by his history of hypertension and smoking rather than his service-connected heart disease or diabetes.
- Claimed conditions
- Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) / Stroke, Diabetes Mellitus, Type II, Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 6, 2018
- Citation
- A18000061
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A18000061.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD alone is sufficient to grant a TDIU, and his other service-connected disabilities are at least 60% combined. The Veteran also meets the criteria for SMC based on housebound status.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's TDIU and SMC for housebound status are granted based on service-connected PTSD from October 12, 2023, and CAD from October 1, 2022. The appeals were granted due to the severity of these conditions preventing the Veteran from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease (CAD) is being remanded for a VA examination to determine its current severity and for the consideration of any outstanding private medical records.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations and effective dates have been denied. The Veteran's arteriosclerotic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities are currently rated at 60 percent, 20 percent, and varying percentages respectively.
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