The Veteran's gout was not present in service and is unrelated to service.,A cervical spine disability, low back disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy were not present in service or within one year following separation from service. The Veteran’s disabilities are not otherwise related to service.,Sleep apnea was not present in service and is unrelated to service.
The deciding factor: The first indication of gout, low back disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, prostate cancer, hypertension, heart disability, diabetes mellitus, or kidney stones occurred many years following the Veteran's separation from service.,There is no evidence of continuity of symptomatology for these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- gout, cervical spine disability, low back disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, sleep apnea, prostate cancer, hypertension, heart disability, diabetes mellitus, kidney stones
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20006433
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 granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and no competent evidence linking the condition to service.
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