The Board denied service connection for GERD, finding that the Veteran's fatigue is not a separate condition and is instead related to his service-connected PTSD and morbid obesity.,Service connection was also denied for fatigue. The Board found that the Veteran's fatigue is due to well-established diagnoses including his service-connected sleep apnea.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a finding of direct causation or secondary service connection for GERD, as it is not related to exposure to toxins in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations during the Persian Gulf War and is more likely due to esophageal sphincter tone. The Veteran's fatigue is also not service-connected as it is attributable to his service-connected PTSD and morbid obesity.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Fatigue
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 4, 2015
- Citation
- 1538075
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 1538075.
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 Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is granted a 70% rating, effective July 15, 2024. The Veteran's GERD remains at a 10% rating.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted at a 70 percent rating prior to July 29, 2024. The GERD rating remains at 30 percent disabled but no higher.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's IBS with GERD was granted an initial 60 percent rating. The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions and development.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected IBS and GERD, finding that the evidence does not support a higher rating under the applicable criteria.
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