The Veteran's skin disorder, including acne, is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the February 2020 VA medical opinion.,The Veteran's heart disorder (including non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, atrial flutter and congestive heart failure) is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the February 2020 VA medical opinion regarding its relationship to hypertension.,The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the February 2020 VA medical opinion.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not consider the Veteran’s blood pressure readings in service and his complaints of headaches, which could have indicated high blood pressure.,The VA examiner did not address whether stress, anxiety, and chronic pain from the Veteran's service-connected back disability caused or aggravated his hypertension.,The VA examiner did not determine if the Veteran's other risk factors for hypertension outweighed the probability that his hypertension was related to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- skin disorder (including acne), non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, atrial flutter, congestive heart failure (heart disorder), hypertension
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20079361
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 20079361.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma but denied it for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
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