The Board remands the claims for service connection for a heart disorder and entitlement to TDIU due to service-connected disabilities for additional development, including obtaining an addendum VA medical opinion.
The deciding factor: The opinions provided by the examiners were found inadequate, and further clarification is needed regarding the etiology of the Veteran's heart disorders and their relationship to his service-connected COPD.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart disorder, to include heart valve replacement, aortic stenosis, coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertensive heart disease, heart murmur, and enlarged heart
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 3, 2022
- Citation
- 22000087
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 claims for increased ratings for left foot bursitis and coronary artery disease, as well as special monthly compensation based on housebound status.
- 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 appeal was denied for service connection of a cervical spine disorder, and several claims were remanded for further development.
- Partly granted
The Board granted restoration of a 60 percent rating for coronary artery disease (CAD) effective June 1, 2021, and increased ratings for mid-sternum scar, left lower extremity (LLE) scar, and migraines to 10%, 20%, and 50% respectively, all effective October 26, 2020.
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