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Whole decision: Denied

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder, including lactose intolerance, as there is no evidence that it was incurred in or related to his military service. The Board found conflicting medical opinions and concluded that the Veteran's current condition is more likely due to lactose intolerance rather than PTSD.

The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion determined that the Veteran’s gastrointestinal disorder is a clear diagnosis of lactose intolerance, not IBS, which is inconsistent with the Veteran's service records and post-service treatment records.

Claimed conditions
Gastrointestinal disorder, including lactose intolerance
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
April 15, 2021
Citation
21022383

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 21022383.

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.

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