The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, as his atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease did not manifest within one year of discharge and there is no evidence linking it to his military service. The Board denied the claim for service connection due to lack of evidence.
The deciding factor: The atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease was not shown to be related to the Veteran's period of active service, as he did not have any complaints or treatment for heart issues during service and there is no evidence showing it manifested within one year of discharge.
- Claimed conditions
- Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20054626
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 20054626.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further development regarding toxic exposures and a VA examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's heart conditions and PTSD were rated at their highest levels (100% for heart conditions, 70% for PTSD) effective December 11, 2019. Additionally, the Veteran was granted benefits related to his disabilities.
- Granted
The Board has granted an effective date of January 9, 2018 for the award of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) based on the cause of death due to acute myocardial infarction. The decision is final as it relates back to the date entitlement arose.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his coronary artery disease and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease was denied. The current rating of 10 percent is maintained.
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