The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's heart disabilities, specifically whether they are secondary to service-connected PTSD medications or related to his service-connected thrombocytopenia. The examiner is requested to provide a clear opinion on causation and aggravation as independent concepts.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the medical opinions provided were inadequate due to reliance on an erroneous factual record, failure to address aggravation, and misdiagnosis of bradycardia.
- Claimed conditions
- Bradycardia, Atrial Fibrillation, Silent Myocardial Infarction, Cardiomyopathy
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 19, 2022
- Citation
- 22002413
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 22002413.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart condition was granted with an effective date of August 1, 2019. The decision is based on evidence showing exposure to diesel and gas fuel during service.
- Granted
Service connection for OSA is granted, and the Veteran's initial ratings for atrial fibrillation, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right upper extremity neuralgia, and left upper extremity neuralgia are all granted at 10 percent.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for Congestive Heart Failure with Atrial Fibrillation with AICD and Hypertension (High Blood Pressure), finding that there was no evidence of direct service connection, and that the conditions were not caused or aggravated by service-connected OSA.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's cardiac condition, including bradycardia with an implanted pacemaker, is not service-connected due to lack of evidence linking it to his military service.
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