The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's heart disability, including coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation, is proximately due to or aggravated by his PTSD. The Veteran should be given another opportunity to submit relevant private treatment records.
The deciding factor: The addendum opinion provided was inadequate as it did not adequately address aggravation of the Veteran’s heart conditions beyond their natural progression.
- Claimed conditions
- Coronary artery disease (CAD), Atrial fibrillation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20074121
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 an earlier effective date for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities prior to February 14, 2025, as the evidence did not show that he was precluded from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment during the appeal period.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for congestive heart failure with implanted pacemaker, bradycardia, valvular heart disease, and atrial fibrillation, secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hypertension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for further development and readjudication.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for Parkinsonism and CAD, but granted SMC based on the loss of use of the hands and need for regular aid and attendance.
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