The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's medication for his service-connected bronchial asthma caused or aggravated his atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not address if the Veteran’s atrial condition was proximately due to or aggravated by the medication used to treat his bronchial asthma, and there is conflicting medical literature indicating a link between corticosteroids and bronchodilators and atrial flutter/atrial fibrillation.
- Claimed conditions
- atrial flutter, atriial fibrillation
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19126967
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for early-onset peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities on a presumptive basis, but granted secondary service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and an increased 10 percent rating for atrial flutter.,The Board remanded several issues including service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, Parkinson's disease, peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities (both direct and secondary), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, coronary artery disease with implanted cardiac pacemaker, PTSD, hypertension, and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the claim for service connection of the Veteran's death due to a need for a medical opinion on the relationship between his service-connected chronic prostatitis and atrial flutter.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a cardiovascular disorder to conduct additional development, including determining all toxic exposure risks and obtaining a medical opinion.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II has been granted, and the Board also reopened his previously denied claims for heart disorder (atrial fibrillation and cardiomegaly), left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy. The appeal is remanded for further development.
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