The Board has remanded the cases of ischemic heart disease and lower back disability for further development. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for ischemic heart disease is not considered a full grant, as he did not explicitly state his satisfaction with the 30 percent evaluation. For the lower back disability, the Board found that the VA examination was incomplete and requested an addendum opinion to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the September 2020 VA examiner’s opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's lower back disability and his in-service injury is unclear, as it did not clearly accept as true/fact that the Veteran suffered an in-service back injury.
- Claimed conditions
- ischemic heart disease, lower back disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 25, 2021
- Citation
- 21010764
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 21010764.
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 service connection for a heart condition, including ischemic heart disease. The evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is granted as presumptively related to his service in the Gulf War, specifically aboard the USS Chanticleer and USS Mataco.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, right lower extremity peripheral artery disease, left lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and hypertension as the evidence did not establish an in-service event or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a heart disability prior to his death is granted as he was entitled to accrued benefits due to the September 1994 claim, which included ischemic heart disease, a covered herbicide disease.
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