The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, hypertension (to include as secondary to diabetes), and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities.,Service connection was not granted for tinnitus because there is no credible evidence that it began in service or is related to noise exposure. The Board found no current diagnosis of tinnitus, and the Veteran's statements about hearing ringing in his ears since service were deemed less than credible given the lack of documentation prior to 2011.,For hypertension, the Board noted the Veteran's long-term use of medication and good control over blood pressure, as well as the absence of any symptoms or diagnosis before 1982. The VA examiner opined that diabetes did not cause or aggravate hypertension, and there was no evidence of early-onset peripheral neuropathy due to herbicide exposure.,Regarding peripheral neuropathy, the Board found no current diagnosis in the Veteran's medical records, despite his testimony about symptoms since shortly after service. The VA examination conducted in 2012 did not reveal any signs or symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.

The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence is against a finding that tinnitus, hypertension (to include as secondary to diabetes), and peripheral neuropathy are related to service or service-connected disabilities.,There was no credible evidence linking the Veteran's tinnitus to service. The Board found his statements about hearing ringing in his ears since service were less than credible given the lack of documentation prior to 2011.,The VA examiner opined that diabetes did not cause or aggravate hypertension, and there was no evidence of early-onset peripheral neuropathy due to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's blood pressure was well-controlled, and he had risk factors for hypertension such as advancing age and being overweight.,There is no current diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy in the Veteran's medical records despite his testimony about symptoms since shortly after service. The VA examination conducted in 2012 did not reveal any signs or symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.

Claimed conditions

tinnitus, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of right upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of left upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of right lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

None in this decision

Decision date

October 31, 2018

Citation

18146270

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 18146270.