The Board determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and atrial fibrillation are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a relationship between these conditions and his active duty service.
The deciding factor: Service connection was denied for both bilateral hearing loss and atrial fibrillation due to lack of medical nexus linking the disabilities to service. The Veteran's in-service audiometric results were within normal limits at separation, and post-service testing did not show a significant threshold shift indicating current hearing loss. Atrial fibrillation was diagnosed 42 years after service, with no evidence of symptoms or treatment during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Atrial Fibrillation (Heart Disorder)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 11, 2017
- Citation
- 1726388
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 1726388.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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