The Board denied the claim of service connection for cause of death on a basis other than ischemic heart disease and also denied the claim for ischemic heart disease. The Veteran's cause of death was determined to be fatty metamorphosis of the liver due to chronic alcohol abuse, with hypertensive cardiovascular disease as a contributory cause.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran did not have ischemic heart disease at the time of his death and that non-occlusive coronary disease and hypertensive cardiovascular disease were not IHD.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertensive cardiovascular disease, fatty metamorphosis of the liver due to chronic ethanol abuse, non-occlusive coronary disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 25, 2018
- Citation
- 18144872
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 18144872.
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.
- Dismissed
The claim for entitlement to service connection for hypotension was dismissed, and the issue of entitlement to service connection for hypertensive cardiovascular disease was remanded.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding that his hypertensive cardiovascular disease began during service.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and remanded the claims for other conditions due to insufficient evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a heart disability, to include hypertensive cardiovascular disease and myocardial ischemia, as the November 2023 VA examination is inadequate.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.