The Board has expanded the Veteran's claim to include service connection for a heart condition and finds remand is necessary due to open medical questions related to his report of having 'long QT's' in service, conflicting opinions regarding Brugada syndrome, and evidence indicating he was prescribed Plavix.
The deciding factor: The Board found there are still open medical questions related to the Veteran’s claim based on his report that he was advised in service that he had 'long QT's', Dr. D.M.J.'s statement that such is not synonymous with Brugada syndrome, and Dr. D.M.J.'s statement that the Veteran's 1987 electrocardiogram demonstrated abnormalities that were not consistent with Brugada syndrome.
- Claimed conditions
- Brugada syndrome, nonobstructive coronary artery disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19177811
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 the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, including due to inservice toxic risk exposure activities and secondary to his service-connected asbestosis.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability to include bipolar disorder and other specified trauma- and stressor-related disorder, but denied or dismissed the remaining claims.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for left and right knee arthritis, DJD, but denied service connection for an enlarged prostate. The claims for Brugada syndrome, bilateral hand arthritis, allergies/sinus issues, HTN, and a skin condition were reopened based on new and material evidence.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected nonobstructive coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus substantially or materially contributed to his cause of death, cardiac arrest. Therefore, service connection for the cause of death is granted.
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