The Board denied the Veteran's claims for separate service connection for abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting, to include an irritable bowel syndrome, and service connection for a cognitive disorder, to include dementia. The Board found that there was no evidence of an irritable bowel syndrome or other digestive disorder during service or within one year after service, and that the Veteran's dementia is not related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran did not have an irritable bowel syndrome or any other digestive disorder during service. The post-service medical records showed a diagnosis of dementia but no evidence of memory loss or cognitive impairment until many years after service, and there was no causal connection established between the Veteran's dementia and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19182440
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,421 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19182440.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination reports and internal inconsistencies in the previous VA examinations. The Veteran's gastrointestinal symptoms, including IBS, constipation, diarrhea, and hemorrhoids, need further evaluation.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran does not have a current respiratory disability other than sleep apnea. The claims for abdominal pain, type I diabetes, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and an immune disorder are remanded due to a duty to assist error.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and abdominal pain as there is no current diagnosed disability of IBS or functional impairment due to abdominal or constipation symptoms.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his claims for service connection for bronchitis/chronic cough and nausea, which were dismissed.
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