The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for his cause of death, finding that his service-connected PTSD did not substantially or materially contribute to his death. The underlying conditions (COPD, diabetes, high cholesterol) were found to be unrelated to his service-connected PTSD.
The deciding factor: The April 2020 VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD did not substantially or materially contribute to his death and noted that prior to his death, his PTSD was well-controlled with mental health care.
- Claimed conditions
- Myocardial Infarction, High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 20, 2026
- Citation
- A26015832
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 A26015832.
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 Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there is no competent evidence to suggest that PTSD contributed to his passing.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a separate rating of 10 percent for implantation of cardiac pacemaker due to third degree atrioventricular block is granted. The minimum 10 percent rating is assigned under DC 7018, as the Veteran does not experience supraventricular arrhythmias or ventricular arrhythmias related to his service-connected heart disability and the symptomatology is already contemplated by the rating for CAD.
- Granted
The Board granted compensation pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for the cause of the Veteran's death, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the appellant.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PSVT, arteriosclerotic heart disease, coronary artery bypass graft, myocardial infarction, and AICD are so inter-related that they cannot be separated. The Board grants an initial 100 percent rating for the combined conditions.
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