The Board denied the veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for hypertension and service connection for lumbar disc disease, gastric ulcers, migraine headaches, and bipolar disorder. The veteran's hypertension is currently rated as 0 percent disabling due to poor control of blood pressure despite medication use. His back condition was not incurred in or aggravated by active service. No current diagnoses of gastric ulcers or bipolar disorder were found. Service connection for these conditions could not be established.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the veteran's hypertension, diagnosed after separation from service, did not meet criteria for a compensable rating as his blood pressure readings were below the threshold for a higher evaluation. The lumbar disc disease was not shown to have been incurred during active service and no current evidence linked it to any incident of service. No current diagnoses of gastric ulcers or bipolar disorder were found in the record, nor did any medical provider link these conditions to service.
- Claimed conditions
- bipolar disorder, gastric ulcers, hypertension, lumbar disc disease, migraine headaches
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 9, 2006
- Citation
- 0613400
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,592 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0613400.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
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.