The Board has decided that the case needs further development and remands for a VA addendum medical opinion to address whether the Veteran's heart murmur is related to active service, including his 1978 separation physical which listed 'shortness of breath' as a symptom, and whether it is caused by or aggravated by service-connected asthma.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the current opinions do not adequately address the secondary service connection theory raised in the Veteran's September 2020 appellate brief regarding the relationship between his heart murmur and active service and its relation to his service-connected asthma.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart murmur
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20064776
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 remands the matter for an addendum VA medical opinion to address whether the Veteran's service-connected conditions have caused or aggravated a heart murmur.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart murmur, arthritis of the hip secondary to a low back disorder, and for reopening his claim for a low back disorder as new and material evidence was not submitted.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a heart murmur as there was no evidence of a heart murmur in service and no medical evidence relating the current condition to any event or injury during service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart disease, finding no evidence of a relationship between the veteran's military service and these conditions.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.