The Board has decided that a remand is necessary to obtain private treatment records and determine if the Veteran's heart disorder, including coronary artery disease and ischemic heart disease, was related to herbicide exposure in service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner needs to determine whether any diagnosed heart disorder (including coronary artery disease or ischemic heart disease) is at least as likely as not related to an in-service injury, event, or disease, including conceded herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, chronic atrial fibrillation, left ventricular dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 12, 2018
- Citation
- 18134226
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 18134226.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for the cause of death and burial benefits due to a lack of medical opinion regarding the Veteran's exposure at Camp Lejeune, which could impact his eligibility for these benefits.
- Granted
The Veteran's non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, AICD, and heart arrhythmias are found to be related to his military service due to Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam. The appeal is granted.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for non-obstructive coronary artery disease and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within one year after separation, and that his current heart conditions are not related to active service or exposure to toxins.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter to obtain a TERA opinion and relevant treatment records as part of the duty to assist.
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