The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a heart disorder, including ischemic heart disease, due to herbicide exposure or toxic risk exposure activity (TERA), as the previous VA examinations and opinions did not substantially comply with the Board's prior remand directives.
The deciding factor: The July 2023 and December 2023 VA medical examinations and opinions were found inadequate because they did not address all of the evidence of record, including documented symptoms and a METs level of >3-5, which may indicate a heart condition other than ischemic heart disease.
- Claimed conditions
- Ischemic heart disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 3, 2025
- Citation
- 25004556
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 is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the R(1) rate due to his need for regular aid and attendance.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings of ischemic heart disease and diabetes, and these claims are dismissed.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, ischemic heart disease, and hypertension from August 10, 2022, under the PACT Act. The claim for a thyroid disability was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case to request a medical opinion on whether service-connected hypertension or ischemic heart disease was a principal or contributory cause of the Veteran's death.
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