The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for the cause of death and granted it, finding that the Veteran's anxiety reaction caused or aggravated his heart conditions leading to his death.
The deciding factor: The outside medical opinion concluded that the Veteran’s anxiety reaction likely caused or aggravated his ventricular tachycardia and atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, which contributed to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Anxiety reaction, Ventricular tachycardia, Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19130412
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple heart disabilities, diabetes mellitus, type II, hypothyroidism, bladder cancer, hypertension, diabetic nephropathy, peripheral neuropathies, bilateral non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and erectile dysfunction based on the Veteran's exposure to herbicides in Korea.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple heart disabilities, diabetes mellitus, type II, hypothyroidism, bladder cancer, hypertension, diabetic nephropathy, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, bilateral non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, erectile dysfunction, chest scar, and right leg scars based on presumed exposure to herbicides in Korea.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for a VA medical opinion to address whether the Veteran's fatal heart and lung diseases are related to his honorable period of service from March 1, 1974 to March 2, 1979. The opinions should consider all relevant evidence, including blood pressure readings during service.
- Granted
The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's atherosclerotic coronary artery disease began during service or was caused by hyperlipidemia present during active duty, and grants service connection.
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