Erectile dysfunction decisions — 2009

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, benign prostatic hypertrophy, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, PTSD, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of evidence associating these conditions with his active service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for neurologic disability, including peripheral neuropathy; hypertension; and erectile dysfunction are denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeals for all issues prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran is seeking to reopen his claims for service connection for chronic ischemic heart disease and degenerative joint and disc disease of the lumbar and cervical spine, as well as hypertension secondary to diabetes. He also seeks service connection for PTSD and erectile dysfunction secondary to diabetes, and chloracne secondary to herbicide exposure.,The Veteran is seeking to reopen his claim for service connection for degenerative joint and disc disease of the lumbar and cervical spine, as well as hypertension secondary to diabetes. He also seeks service connection for PTSD and erectile dysfunction secondary to diabetes, and chloracne secondary to herbicide exposure.,,,The Veteran is seeking service connection for PTSD based on in-service stressors, but his claim has not been verified by the U.S. Army and Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC).,The Veteran is seeking service connection for chloracne secondary to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied across the board. The Board found no current diagnoses of any claimed conditions, and thus could not establish a link between military service and these conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, the maximum schedular rating available. The Veteran also meets criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction were not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may they be presumed to have been incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records and for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the minimum schedular criteria for a total disability rating based on unemployability. The case is REMANDED to obtain an opinion regarding whether he is capable of securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The issue of entitlement to SMC based on loss of a creative organ is addressed in the REMAND portion and will be remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found no evidence supporting a higher rating for erectile dysfunction, and the PTSD claim was also denied as there is no severe incomplete paralysis or atrophy of muscles.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents while stationed at Nakhon Phanom Air Force Base in Thailand, and service connection for diabetes mellitus is granted based on this exposure. The other claims of service connection are not addressed as they are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected cardiomyopathy with arteriosclerotic heart disease has been rated at 60 percent since January 31, 2008. The Veteran is denied a higher rating for this condition and a compensable rating for erectile dysfunction.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, and he has been granted separate compensable evaluations for erectile dysfunction, gastroparesis, cataracts, and hemorrhoids as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, as well as dyslipidemia. The reasons were that there was no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents like Agent Orange, and the conditions did not manifest within a year of discharge from active service.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection are addressed in the decision. The Board found that new and material evidence has been received to reopen several previously denied claims, but did not grant any of the individual claims due to lack of evidence supporting the claims or because they were otherwise not supported by the preponderance of the evidence.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted and assigned a 50 percent evaluation for the period prior to June 1, 2006.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his mental health condition and multiple physical impairments, render him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction, have been denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of chronic pain syndrome is dismissed as the condition is already in effect due to his service-connected lumbar spine condition. The reduction from a 60 percent rating to a 40 percent rating was improper and void ab initio, but restoration of the 60 percent rating is warranted. There is no legal basis for maintaining a permanent 60 percent rating.