The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's heart disability, including sinus bradycardia and 1st atrioventricular block, is related to his active service.
The deciding factor: The August 2010 VA examiner did not provide an etiological opinion regarding the findings of 1st atrioventricular block or mild aortic insufficiency. The Board requires another examination by a qualified medical professional to determine if there is a 50 percent or better probability that these conditions are related to the Veteran's active service.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disability, sinus bradycardia, 1st atrioventricular block, mild aortic insufficiency
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 17, 2013
- Citation
- 1301908
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 1301908.
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 hypertension was granted service connection effective August 10, 2022. The heart disability was granted secondary to the hypertension.,An initial rating of 30% for the heart disability was granted in May 2023 and increased to 60% since October 22, 2024.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's heart condition is related to service, specifically his combat service in Afghanistan. The AOJ must obtain a new VA examination and provide an adequate medical opinion.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a heart disability, finding that it is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disability, heart disability, and rheumatoid arthritis due to procedural errors in obtaining necessary medical opinions.
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