The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if any of the Veteran's heart conditions are related to his service, including herbicide agent exposure. The examiner is also asked to consider all relevant evidence of record, such as medical records and treatment notes.
The deciding factor: The February 2021 VA examination did not substantially comply with the Board's remand instructions and was inadequate in its findings regarding the onset and relationship of the Veteran's heart conditions to his service.
- Claimed conditions
- Ischemic heart disease, Hypertension, Aortic stenosis, Hyperlipids, Transient ischemic attack (TIA), Vascular insufficiency, Atrial fibrillation, Aortic valve disorder, Osteoarthritis of the knees
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 17, 2021
- Citation
- 21030008
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 21030008.
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 Veteran's claim for an initial rating of 30 percent prior to July 18, 2014, and a higher than 60 percent rating thereafter for ischemic heart disease is being remanded due to incomplete evidence. The examiner needs to provide more detailed information about the severity of his service-connected condition.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
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