The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions and incomplete evidentiary development. The Veteran's cardiovascular disability, including aortic stenosis, heart murmur, rheumatic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, and atherosclerotic vascular disease with aortic atherosclerosis, is being reviewed for service connection.
The deciding factor: The Board found the VA medical opinions insufficient to support the decision and that further development was needed to investigate the prevalence of rheumatic fever among service members stationed in Alaska during the 1950s.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiovascular disability, aortic stenosis, heart murmur, rheumatic heart disease, atriial fibrillation, atherosclerotic vascular disease with aortic atherosclerosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19189495
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,240 · Granted: 28% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19189495.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for atrial fibrillation, benign prostatic hypertrophy with outflow obstruction, congestive heart failure, and hypertension due to inadequate VA opinions. The Veteran's exposure during service is conceded to include asbestos and gas chamber exposures.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes, headaches, and a cardiovascular disability due to VA treatment on August 9, 2019. The Veteran contends that he was prescribed Jardiance (Empagliflozin) instead of Metformin, leading to complications such as DKA, renal failure, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, sleep apnea, dizziness, and headaches.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient consideration of secondary service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) related to the Veteran's service-connected foot disability and depression.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for hypertension, CHF and ventricular arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity affecting the femoral nerve, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity affecting the femoral nerve were denied as there is no evidence that these conditions arose prior to July 31, 2024.,The effective dates for service connection for CHF and ventricular arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity affecting the femoral nerve, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity affecting the femoral nerve were denied as there is no evidence that these conditions arose prior to July 31, 2024.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.