The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to arteriosclerotic heart disease, finding that there was no evidence linking the condition to service. The appellant's claim was based on her belief that the Veteran had syphilis during service which led to his heart problems and death.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion found no evidence of untreated syphilis in service and concluded that arteriosclerotic heart disease did not develop due to syphilis, as treatment with penicillin would have resolved the infection.
- Claimed conditions
- Arteriosclerotic heart disease (ASHD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2026
- Citation
- A26001440
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 A26001440.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to arteriosclerotic heart disease, finding that there was no evidence linking the condition to service. The appellant's claim was based on her belief that the Veteran had syphilis during service which led to his heart problems and death.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his PTSD did not contribute to his heart disorders and thus was not a proximate or contributing cause in his death.
- Granted
The Board found that the Veteran's heart disorder and hypertension are related to his service-connected PTSD, granting these claims.
- Denied
The veteran's arteriosclerotic heart disease (ASHD) is not due to disease or injury that was incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred therein.
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