The Board has conceded the Veteran's current diagnoses of hypertension, cardiomyopathy/congestive heart failure (CHF), and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. The Veteran contends that his cardiovascular disabilities were incurred in or are the result of his active duty service. However, a VA examiner concluded that the Veteran did not have coronary artery disease due to normal coronary arteries found in 2004 and 2011. An addendum opinion is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's coronary artery disease.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner could not establish direct service connection for coronary artery disease based on the absence of a diagnosis during service and normal coronary arteries found in previous examinations.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiovascular disability, hypertension, cardiomyopathy/congestive heart failure (CHF), non-ischemic cardiomyopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 26, 2018
- Citation
- 18145349
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18145349.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
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- Denied
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