The Veteran's death was due to congestive heart failure, which is presumed to be related to Agent Orange exposure. The Board has determined that the claim for service-connected burial benefits should be remanded for further evaluation of whether ischemic heart disease qualifies under VA criteria.
The deciding factor: Ischemic heart disease must be evaluated in accordance with the generally accepted medical definition and not include hypertension or peripheral manifestations of arteriosclerosis.
- Claimed conditions
- Congestive Heart Failure, Ischemic Heart Disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19124272
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for congestive heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and pulmonary fibrosis as these conditions were not related to the Veteran's service, including his exposure to Agent Orange.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, sleep apnea, and erectile dysfunction.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for COPD, obstructive sleep apnea, atrial fibrillation, and hypertension as not being related to the Veteran's active duty or secondary to his service-connected GAD. However, congestive heart failure was granted due to a secondary relationship with his service-connected GAD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case to obtain a medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD caused or aggravated his cardiovascular diseases, which were listed as contributing causes of death.
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