The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's heart disorder is secondary to his service-connected PTSD or aggravated by it, and also due to insufficient opinions regarding whether herbicide exposure caused his heart disorder.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide an opinion on whether the Veteran’s PTSD aggravated his heart disorder, nor did they address whether PTSD medications could aggravate his heart disorder. The Board finds these issues must be addressed in order to make a complete determination of service connection for the heart disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disorder, ischemic heart disease (IHD), paroxysmal atrial tachycardia (PAT), supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), mitral valve regurgitation, tricuspid valve regurgitation, cardiomyopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 26, 2021
- Citation
- 21024881
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 21024881.
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 Veteran's claims for service connection due to errors in obtaining relevant medical records and authorization for private treatment providers. The issues include heart disorder, OSA, sinusitis, lumbar spine disorder, and right knee disorder all related to Agent Orange exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disorder, to include ischemic heart disease (IHD), finding that there was not sufficient evidence to establish a link between his current condition and his military service. The Board noted that the Veteran did not have active military service from January 9, 1962, to July 31, 1980, and that he was not exposed to herbicide agents during his military service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a heart disability, finding that it is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's heart condition, finding that it is secondary to his service-connected PTSD.
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