The Veteran's current heart disorders are being remanded as the VA medical opinion is inadequate. The examiner must review service treatment records and provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that his currently diagnosed heart conditions had their onset during or are causally related to service, including documented symptoms in March 1985.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion did not adequately address the Veteran's reported symptoms during service and their relation to his current diagnoses.
- Claimed conditions
- aortic atherosclerosis, left ventricular hypertrophy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 20, 2026
- Citation
- A26005017
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 A26005017.
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 Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ventricular hypertrophy and Fabry's disease as secondary to his service-connected hypertension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error, and will consider service connection for heart disorders based on direct evidence or secondary to hypertension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to errors in obtaining relevant private treatment records and VA opinions, which were not sufficient for a decision on service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for left ventricular hypertrophy and service connection for sinus bradycardia are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.
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