The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service-connected due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents.,Service connection for a back disability and gout are denied because the evidence does not support an in-service injury or disease, nor can it be linked to any period of active duty or ACDUTRA/INACDUTRA service.,The Veteran's current gout is also denied as there is no evidence showing its onset during service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has been diagnosed with hypertension and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has updated its reports to reflect that hypertension now has a documented level associated with herbicide exposure. The Board finds in favor of the Veteran, resolving all doubt in his favor, as the evidence is at least in equipoise and satisfactorily establishes that the Veteran's hypertension is due to his presumed exposure to Agent Orange.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, back disability, gout
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2023
- Citation
- 23000384
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 3,319 · Granted: 25% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 23000384.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
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The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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