The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his fatal heart conditions and military service.
The deciding factor: Service records did not show any signs or symptoms of acute MI or ASCVD during service. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's tobacco use disorder, which had been ongoing for many years, was the primary risk factor leading to his death from coronary artery disease (CAD).
- Claimed conditions
- Acute Myocardial Infarction, Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20026170
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 20026170.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death (COPD and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease) is not service-connected as there is no evidence showing the conditions had their onset during service or were related to any incident of service, including in-service asbestos exposure. The Board finds that smoking was not caused by his service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error, requiring an addendum VA medical opinion on whether the Veteran's current heart conditions are related to his service, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune and his MOS as a mechanic.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for PTSD, interstitial lung disease, allergic rhinitis, and chronic sinusitis. The claims for service connection were remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a rating greater than 30 percent for PTSD and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, as the evidence did not support higher ratings.
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