The Board denied service connection for hypertension, a heart disorder, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus as there was no evidence of these conditions in service or within one year after discharge, and no competent medical evidence linking them to the Veteran's period of service or any service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The March 2006 VA examinations for hypertension, heart disorder, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus all concluded that these conditions were not related to the Veteran's military service or a service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, heart disorder, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 18, 2009
- Citation
- 0905845
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
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