The Board has determined that the May 2012 rating decision is the current appeal, and it remanded for additional development. The Veteran's hypertension was not service-connected at the time of the May 2012 rating decision. The Board also noted that there are issues related to secondary service connection for hypertension due to service-connected coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral artery disease (PAD), and/or type II diabetes mellitus, as well as potential aggravation by these conditions.
The deciding factor: The September 2020 VA medical opinion was inadequate because it used the incorrect legal standard of 'permanent worsening' for secondary service connection. The Board requested an addendum opinion to address whether hypertension is related to herbicide agent exposure and if it is caused or aggravated by service-connected CAD, PAD, and/or diabetes.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral artery disease (PAD), type II diabetes mellitus (diabetes)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 5, 2021
- Citation
- 21000375
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 21000375.
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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