The Board has denied increased ratings for left and right foot gouty arthritis, but has remanded the case to obtain additional records related to hypertension.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hypertension was not evaluated due to missing VA treatment records and self-maintained blood pressure logs.
- Claimed conditions
- left foot gouty arthritis, right foot gouty arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 4, 2022
- Citation
- 22006661
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 22006661.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical evidence in the file on which to make a claim. The appellant's current disabilities of right and left foot gouty arthritis, cervical spine stenosis, and obstructive sleep apnea are associated with or aggravated by his service-connected left shoulder disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for tinnitus, right and left foot disorders (gouty arthritis), and right and left knee disorders due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran is directed to provide authorizations for any outstanding private medical records and VA treatment records are to be obtained.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, memory loss, left knee disability, degenerative arthritis of the hands, right foot gouty arthritis, arthritis of the neck, sinus disability, respiratory disability (asthma and/or shortness of breath), acid reflux, and facial scar. The Board found that none of these claims were supported by evidence showing a direct link to service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left foot gouty arthritis, right foot gouty arthritis, and hypertension have been denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.
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