The Board found that the veteran's gouty arthritis of the right great toe is not proximately due to or the result of her service-connected hypertension, and thus denied her claim for service connection.
The deciding factor: There was no competent evidence showing a current diagnosis of gout, and the VA examiner did not attribute the veteran's gouty arthritis to the use of hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) prescribed for her service-connected hypertension.
- Claimed conditions
- gouty arthritis of the right great toe
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 3, 2006
- Citation
- 0603201
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial 10 percent disability rating for kidney stones and denied increased ratings for gouty arthritis of the right great toe and left ankle, as well as a higher rating for right foot hallux valgus and gout, left ankle.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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