The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings due to new evidence of worsening conditions, including heart conditions, diabetes mellitus, and diabetic nephropathy. The claims are being returned for further examination and evaluation.
The deciding factor: New medical evidence indicates that the Veteran’s current heart conditions may be related to his service, specifically exposure to herbicide agents during the Vietnam War period.
- Claimed conditions
- Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD), Decreased left ventricular ejection fraction, Cardiomyopathy, Mitral valve regurgitation, Tricuspid valve regurgitation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19173000
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 19173000.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart condition was granted with an effective date of August 1, 2019. The decision is based on evidence showing exposure to diesel and gas fuel during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a heart disability and hypertension due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors. The AOJ is required to obtain addendum medical opinions regarding toxic exposure risk activities (TERA).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart conditions may be related to his service-connected sleep apnea and/or generalized anxiety disorder, but further examination is needed to determine causation.
- Granted
The Board has restored service connection for Ischemic Heart Disease, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Diabetes Mellitus type II, Chronic Kidney Disease, Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy of the lower left extremity sciatic nerve, Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy of the lower right extremity sciatic nerve, and Hypertension. The Board found that the original grant of service connection was not clearly erroneous due to the Veteran's exposure along the DMZ in Korea.
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