The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an addendum opinion from the examiner who conducted the July 2021 VA examination. The examiner is asked to address whether the Veteran's benign heart murmur was a disease or defect, if it was aggravated by her active duty service, and if any superimposed disabilities were due to the heart murmur. Additionally, the examiner must provide opinions on direct service connection for all diagnosed heart disorders, as well as whether any heart disorder was caused or aggravated by her service-connected PTSD.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the June 2021 VA examination and associated medical opinions were inadequate due to incomplete responses to the requested questions and conflicting conclusions from different examiners. The examiner is asked to provide more detailed opinions on these issues in order to properly adjudicate the claim of service connection for a heart disability.
- Claimed conditions
- atriial fibrillation, cardiomegaly
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 13, 2021
- Citation
- 21063141
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,500 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 21063141.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for atrial fibrillation, benign prostatic hypertrophy with outflow obstruction, congestive heart failure, and hypertension due to inadequate VA opinions. The Veteran's exposure during service is conceded to include asbestos and gas chamber exposures.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating higher than 30 percent for cardiomegaly with cardiac hypertrophy and valvular heart disease has been dismissed due to the appellant withdrawing the appeal.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient consideration of secondary service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) related to the Veteran's service-connected foot disability and depression.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claims for hypertension, CHF and ventricular arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity affecting the femoral nerve, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity affecting the femoral nerve were denied as there is no evidence that these conditions arose prior to July 31, 2024.,The effective dates for service connection for CHF and ventricular arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity affecting the femoral nerve, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity affecting the femoral nerve were denied as there is no evidence that these conditions arose prior to July 31, 2024.
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