The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease (recharacterized to a heart disability) has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence.,Service connection for hypertension is granted based on the PACT Act presumption of exposure to herbicide agents during Vietnam service.,Service connection for chronic kidney disease secondary to diabetes mellitus is granted.,The Board finds that additional development is needed regarding whether service connection for hypertension and a heart disability are warranted on a facts-found basis.
The deciding factor: New evidence received since the final December 2010 rating decision raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the underlying claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease (recharacterized to a heart disability).,The Veteran's hypertension is presumed to be due to exposure to herbicide agents during Vietnam service.,The Veteran's chronic kidney disease is caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.,Additional medical opinions are needed regarding whether the Veteran's current diagnoses of hypertension and heart disabilities are related to service, including presumed exposure to herbicide agents.
- Claimed conditions
- Ischemic heart disease, Hypertension, Chronic kidney disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 17, 2023
- Citation
- 23045890
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 23045890.
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 Veteran's claim for an initial rating of 30 percent prior to July 18, 2014, and a higher than 60 percent rating thereafter for ischemic heart disease is being remanded due to incomplete evidence. The examiner needs to provide more detailed information about the severity of his service-connected condition.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
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