The Veteran's coronary artery disease is related to the service-connected hypertension, and his high cholesterol does not qualify as a disability for VA purposes. His tinnitus was present for more than one year after separation from service and is not linked to service. The GERD diagnosed in 2000 is not related to service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's coronary artery disease is found to be directly related to his service-connected hypertension, while high cholesterol does not meet the criteria for VA compensation as it is a laboratory finding. Tinnitus was first reported years after separation and is not linked to service exposure. GERD was diagnosed post-service and has no direct link to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Coronary artery disease, High cholesterol, Tinnitus, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- August 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19159890
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 19159890.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
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