The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's heart condition and its relation to service, particularly his exposure during service aboard the USS Rowan in Vietnam. The Veteran is seeking service connection for a heart condition related to herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no findings indicating ischemic heart disease but did find previous diagnoses of coronary artery disease and aortic stenosis. An addendum opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran has a current heart condition related to service, including his claimed herbicide exposure during service aboard the USS Rowan in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- heart condition, aortic stenosis (heart valve disease), coronary artery disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 15, 2021
- Citation
- 21022447
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 21022447.
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 initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- 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 claim of service connection for PTSD was granted with an initial evaluation of 50 percent, effective September 24, 2007. The appeal regarding the heart condition and sleep disorder is denied. The Veteran's hearing loss prior to August 24, 2015, warrants a 20 percent rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for coronary artery disease is being remanded due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination.
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