The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence on whether the Veteran's heart condition, including atrial fibrillation and left anterior fascicular block, is related to his service or herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA determined that circulatory disorders have no positive association with herbicide exposure but A-Fib may not be a circulatory disorder. Therefore, a VA examination and nexus opinion are required under the PACT Act.
- Claimed conditions
- left anterior fascicular block, low voltage EKG with ventricular delay, atriial fibrillation (A-Fib)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 11, 2023
- Citation
- 23050088
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 23050088.
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.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection due to his death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for sinus bradycardia but has remanded the remaining heart conditions due to insufficient medical opinions.
- Granted
The Veteran's heart condition, including atrioventricular block and arrhythmia, is presumed to have been caused by his exposure to burn pits during service in Iraq. The Board finds that the symptoms qualify as an undiagnosed illness under Persian Gulf War Syndrome criteria.
- Granted
The Board of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
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