The Board remands the case for an opinion on whether the Veteran's mental health disability, which was determined to be related to service, contributed to his death through excessive drinking or obsessive overeating that caused or aggravated diabetes, which in turn contributed to congestive heart failure.
The deciding factor: The October 2024 VA opinion is inadequate as it did not consider the extent to which the Veteran's mental health disability contributed to the development of diabetes, which according to the appellant, contributed to his death from congestive heart failure.
- Claimed conditions
- Congestive heart failure, Diabetes mellitus type 2
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 4, 2025
- Citation
- 25001697
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,960 · Granted: 36% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 25001697.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart condition was granted with an effective date of August 1, 2019. The decision is based on evidence showing exposure to diesel and gas fuel during service.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted SMC at the (r)(1) rate due to his service-connected major depressive disorder and congestive heart failure, which require regular aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart conditions may be related to his service-connected sleep apnea and/or generalized anxiety disorder, but further examination is needed to determine causation.
- Granted
The Veteran's coronary artery disease (CAD) is related to his service-connected hypertension, and the Board has granted service connection for CAD as secondary to hypertension.
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