Citation Nr: 20009779 Decision Date: 02/06/20 Archive Date: 02/05/20 DOCKET NO. 18-20 414 DATE: February 6, 2020 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for the Veteran's cause of death is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from July 1943 to February 1946 in the United States Navy during World War II. The Veteran died in August 2016 and the Veteran’s surviving spouse initiated the claim on appeal. Entitlement to service connection for the Veteran's cause of death is remanded. The claim must be remanded again because the July 2019 medical opinion considers an improper standard for aggravation. In January 2020 written argument, the appellant’s representative referred to an article that the representative said discusses a medical study that may be pertinent to the claim. The opinion on remand must specifically consider the article. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: Obtain an addendum opinion from an appropriate clinician regarding whether the Veteran’s cause of death was at least as likely as not related aggravated by service-connected malaria. The examiner is informed that for this purpose aggravation is defined as any increase in disability. Copies of all pertinent records must be made available to the examiner for review. In answering this question, the opinion provider must specifically consider and discuss as necessary the following: A June 11, 2016, medical article titled “Cardiovascular changes in patients with Plasmodium Vivax Malaria.” The article can be found online at the following web address: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC544135/. A complete rationale must be provided for all opinions. M.E. Larkin Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board P.S. McLeod The Board’s decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential, and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.