The Board denied service connection for hypercholesterolemia and gastritis, finding that these conditions are not diseases or injuries within the meaning of VA compensation laws. The veteran's claims were based on his belief that symptoms began in service.
The deciding factor: Hypercholesterolemia is a laboratory finding and not an actual disability for which VA benefits can be awarded. Gastritis was not shown to have originated during service, as there is no evidence of its presence at the time of discharge.
- Claimed conditions
- hypercholesterolemia, gastritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 20, 2004
- Citation
- 0410179
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 0410179.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral pes planus, anemia, and gastritis as the conditions were not shown to be related to or aggravated by service.
- Granted
The Board granted a rating of 60 percent from January 27, 2016 to July 7, 2022 for the Veteran's duodenal ulcer, duodenitis, gastritis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a compensable rating and an increased rating for gastritis, gastroenteritis, and GERD to obtain a retrospective medical opinion on the severity of the Veteran's symptoms without the ameliorative effects of medication.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an increased rating in excess of 40 percent for service-connected gastritis.
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