The Veteran's claims for service connection for atrial fibrillation and hypertension are remanded due to insufficient evidence of record. The VA will need to provide examinations and etiology opinions regarding the onset and relationship of these conditions to service, specifically herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is insufficient evidence of record to decide the claims, particularly regarding the relationship between the Veteran's atrial fibrillation and hypertension and his presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The VA will need to provide examinations and etiology opinions to address these issues.
- Claimed conditions
- atrial fibrillation, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19177274
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,614 · Granted: 35% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19177274.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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