The Board has determined that the remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's cardiovascular disorders, specifically whether they are aggravated by his service-connected obstructive sleep apnea and if any were incurred during service.
The deciding factor: The VA-obtained medical opinions did not fully address the aggravation prong of secondary service connection and failed to consider the appropriate theories of entitlement for determining the etiology of the Veteran's cardiovascular disorders.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiovascular disorders
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2026
- Citation
- 26000994
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 26000994.
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.
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The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for cardiovascular disorders and associated hypertension disability. The case is remanded to obtain a VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's cardiovascular disorders are related to his in-service exposure to dioxins.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that another remand is necessary due to the need for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's heart condition, including whether it was aggravated by his service.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of cold weather injuries, including extremity and cardiovascular disorders. The evidence does not support a finding that any current disabilities are related to his military service.
- Denied
The Veteran died from asphyxia due to drowning, which the Board found was not caused by any incident of service. There is no evidence that any conditions involved in his death were incurred or aggravated by service.
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