The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia as these conditions are not related to active duty.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of CAD or CLL during active service or within a year of separation. The VA clinician's opinion concluded that it was less likely than not that any radiation exposure would result in the subsequently-diagnosed CAD or CLL.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute Myocardial Infarction (MI), Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19189247
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 19189247.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial 100 percent rating for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) from October 14, 2024.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a rating greater than 70 percent for PTSD, granted an earlier effective date of August 14, 2024, for the grant of a 70 percent rating for PTSD, and denied other claims including entitlement to an effective date prior to April 3, 2025, for the grant of a 100 percent rating evaluation for CAD.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a higher level of special monthly compensation (SMC) as he does not meet the criteria for an increased rate based on his service-connected disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for hypertension, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure with ICD placement, diabetes mellitus, gastroesophageal reflux disease, tinnitus, sinus tachycardia, and cardiomyopathy. The claims for irritable bowel syndrome and an acquired psychiatric disorder were remanded.
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