The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's coronary artery disease is related to service. The VA examiner must provide a new opinion on the onset and etiology of any diagnosed heart disabilities, including consideration of the July 1987 notation of a heart murmur since infancy and January 1991 treatment for a fast heartbeat.
The deciding factor: The conflicting medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's coronary artery disease and service need to be resolved through a new VA examination and opinion from a cardiologist.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery disease, heart murmur
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 9, 2021
- Citation
- 21068168
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 21068168.
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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease, hypertension, and stroke as there was no evidence of herbicide agent exposure during service and the medical opinions were against a nexus to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease with myocardial infarction is granted on a presumptive basis due to exposure to herbicide agents during his active duty in Korea.
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