The Veteran's high cholesterol is not considered a compensable disability for VA purposes.,There is no evidence of cervical spine degenerative disc disease or neck pain during service, and the current condition is not related to any in-service injury. The claim for this condition is denied.,Hypertension was not shown within one year after separation from service, nor is there a link between it and service. Therefore, the Veteran's hypertension claim is also denied.
The deciding factor: The term 'hypercholesterolemia' refers to elevated concentrations of lipids in the plasma, which are considered laboratory findings rather than disabilities for VA compensation purposes.,There was no evidence of neck pain or cervical spine pathology during service. The September 2020 VA examiner concluded that the current condition is less likely related to active service.,Hypertension was not diagnosed within one year after separation from service, and there is no other competent medical opinion linking it to service.
- Claimed conditions
- High cholesterol, Cervical spine disability (neck pain), Hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 9, 2023
- Citation
- A23031633
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 A23031633.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 10% rating for hypertension effective December 1, 2025 and denied a rating in excess of 10%. The reduction from 10% to noncompensable was not proper.
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