The Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder, to include gastroesophageal reflux disease, is not service-connected as it was not shown to be incurred or aggravated during his periods of active duty. The VA examiner found no evidence that the condition existed prior to his re-enlistment in 2004 and there were no concurrent treatments documented in service related to this disorder.,The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is also not service-connected as it was noted prior to his enlistment into service, and there is clear and unmistakable evidence demonstrating that the disability did not increase beyond its natural progression during service.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence showing a diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease or erectile dysfunction in service. The Veteran's pre-existing conditions were noted prior to his enlistment into active duty, and there was no aggravation of these conditions during service as the VA examiner found.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease, Erectile Dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 15, 2015
- Citation
- 1539563
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 1539563.
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 has determined that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of service connection for erectile dysfunction due to insufficient medical evidence and a need for a VA examination.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Type II Diabetes Mellitus, Bilateral Lower Extremity Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (Sciatic Nerve), Erectile Dysfunction, and Bladder Cancer in remission. Effective dates have been set for these awards as of July 14, 2004. The Veteran's claim for higher initial disability ratings and earlier effective dates are being remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is found to have had its onset during service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.
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