The Veteran's appeal of high cholesterol (claimed as hyperlipidemia) has been withdrawn.,The effective date for the grant of service connection for GERD is denied, as it cannot be earlier than March 11, 2015.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus is denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to in-service exposure or within one year post-separation from service.,CAD and respiratory conditions are remanded for further examination and opinion regarding their relationship to service.,A neck disability and acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as secondary to GERD and right foot disability) are also remanded for further examination and opinion.,Polysubstance abuse is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding its relationship to GERD, right foot disability, or CAD.,ED is remanded for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of the condition.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeal of high cholesterol (claimed as hyperlipidemia) during the May 2021 Board hearing.,There was no earlier formal or informal claim of service connection for GERD, and the earliest date of receipt of a formal claim is March 11, 2015.,The evidence does not support a finding that diabetes mellitus is related to in-service exposure or within one year post-separation from service.,There is insufficient competent medical evidence linking CAD to service, including fuel and benzene exposure.,There is insufficient competent medical evidence linking the respiratory condition to service.,There is insufficient competent medical evidence linking polysubstance abuse to GERD, right foot disability, or CAD.,The Veteran's current symptoms of ED are not currently addressed in his VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- high cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease (CAD), a respiratory condition, neck disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, polysubstance abuse, erectile dysfunction (ED)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 8, 2022
- Citation
- 22033432
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 22033432.
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.
- Denied
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to new evidence and development needs. The maximum disability rating for tinnitus has already been assigned.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, right lower extremity peripheral artery disease, left lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and hypertension as the evidence did not establish an in-service event or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection and TDIU are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his coronary artery disease.
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