The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of a cardiac disability due to insufficient evidence and need for clarification on whether the heart murmur is a congenital defect or disease, as well as potential exposure during active service.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on insufficient evidence regarding the nature and cause of the Veteran's heart murmur and its relationship to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart murmur
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 23, 2026
- Citation
- A26038286
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 A26038286.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a heart murmur and a left foot heel spur, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a heart condition, to include a heart murmur and hypertension, due to incomplete evidence regarding the nature of the Veteran's heart murmur and potential service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for an addendum VA medical opinion to address whether the Veteran's service-connected conditions have caused or aggravated a heart murmur.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of November 8, 1997 for the award of service connection for a heart murmur due to clear and unmistakable error in a March 1998 rating decision.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.