The Board has vacated its previous decision denying service connection for ischemic heart disease due to exposure to herbicide agents and has remanded the case for further review, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's heart conditions are related to such exposure.
The deciding factor: The prior decision did not provide a reason or basis for the denial of service connection for IHD.
- Claimed conditions
- Ischemic heart disease (IHD), Valvular heart disease, Mitral regurgitation, Sinus bradycardia, Mitral valve problem
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20077703
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 20077703.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart condition was granted with an effective date of August 1, 2019. The decision is based on evidence showing exposure to diesel and gas fuel during service.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for sinus bradycardia is dismissed. The Board has remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD and bilateral hearing loss.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted an earlier effective date of January 9, 2023 for a 70% evaluation for PTSD with alcohol use disorder and for individual unemployability.
- Granted
The Board has granted a 100 percent rating for the Veteran's coronary artery disease and valvular heart disease with a presence of coronary stent since February 4, 2022, based on workload of 3.0 METs or less resulting in heart failure symptoms.
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