The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including atrial fibrillation, knots under arms (lipomas), leg disorder (weak legs, knee arthralgias), memory loss, skin cancer, and pulmonary disorder (shortness of breath) as they were not shown to be related to his active military service or any herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The Board found no competent medical evidence supporting a link between the veteran's claimed conditions and his active military service, including Agent Orange exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- atrial fibrillation, knots under arms (lipomas), leg disorder (weak legs, knee arthralgias), memory loss, skin cancer, pulmonary disorder (shortness of breath)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2009
- Citation
- 0900694
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 appeal regarding the Veteran's entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for atrial fibrillation is remanded due to unclear evidence on whether continuous medication is required for its control.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for chronic kidney disease, atrial fibrillation, hiatal hernia, COPD, and prostate cancer as a result of toxic exposure during the Veteran's military service.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for memory loss and found that the issue of TDIU from September 6, 2022 is moot.
- Partly granted
The appeal for service connection for fibromyalgia was granted with an effective date of August 14, 2023. The appeals for earlier effective dates and higher ratings were denied.
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