The Board has dismissed the issue of entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 70 percent disabling for the period prior to December 28, 2017, and 100 percent disabling for the period thereafter, for service-connected PTSD due to withdrawal. The Veteran's hypertension is granted as presumptively related to his Vietnam-era exposure. The Board has remanded issues of service connection for a respiratory disability (including chronic cough and COPD), sleep apnea (secondary to PTSD), and heart disability (including heart disease and atrial fibrillation) due to the need for additional development.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hypertension is presumed related to his Vietnam-era exposure, as he served in the Republic of Vietnam. The Board has remanded the remaining issues on appeal due to the need for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling VA examinations.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, respiratory disability (including chronic cough, COPD), sleep apnea, heart disability (including heart disease and atrial fibrillation)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20061914
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 20061914.
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 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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