The Veteran's atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is granted as service connected due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents. The issue of service connection for atrial fibrillation with congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy, including as secondary to other conditions, remains pending.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents has been established, and there is no affirmative evidence of intercurrent etiology for his atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The issue of service connection for atrial fibrillation with congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy remains pending.
- Claimed conditions
- atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, atrial fibrillation with congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 1, 2021
- Citation
- 21071699
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 21071699.
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 remands the claim for a heart condition to obtain an addendum opinion from a VA clinician regarding whether the Veteran's current heart condition is related to service, including in-service treatment for hypertension.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial 30 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected cardiovascular disability, but denied a higher rating from December 15, 2022, through September 14, 2025.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a temporary rating of 100 percent for his heart disability from March 1, 2021 to June 1, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 60 percent prior to and after this period was denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease based on the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam.
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