The Veteran's claim for service connection for vertigo is denied as he does not have this condition.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD, major depression disorder, anxiety disorder, insomnia) is denied. The Veteran submitted opinions from private doctors stating that he has these conditions, but the Board finds their opinions outweighed by other medical evidence of record and insufficient to establish a current diagnosis.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss is denied as there is no in-service noise exposure documented and his STRs do not show any relevant symptoms. The VA examiner found that his diagnosed hearing loss is less likely than not related to service.,Service connection for a back disorder, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, right lower extremity nerve disorder, and left lower extremity nerve disorder are denied as the Veteran's STRs do not show any relevant symptoms. The VA examiner found that his diagnosed conditions are less likely than not related to service.,Service connection for a heart disorder (atrial fibrillation, bradycardia) is denied as there is no in-service noise exposure documented and the VA examiners found that his atrial fibrillation is at least as likely as not related to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's STRs show he had a benign heart murmur at entrance to service.,Service connection for bilateral lower extremity edema (right and left) is denied as there is no in-service noise exposure documented and the VA examiners found that his diagnosed conditions are less likely than not related to service.,Service connection for hypertension prior to August 10, 2022 is denied. The Veteran's STRs show he had a benign heart murmur at entrance to service and the VA examiner found that his bradycardia is at least as likely as not related to herbicide exposure.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction prior to August 10, 2022 is denied. There is no in-service noise exposure documented and the Veteran's STRs show he had a benign heart murmur at entrance to service.

The deciding factor: The Veteran does not have vertigo as his STRs do not show any relevant symptoms during service, and the VA examiner found that his diagnosed condition is less likely than not related to service.,There is no in-service noise exposure documented and the Veteran's STRs do not show any relevant symptoms. The Board finds the opinions from private doctors outweighed by other medical evidence of record and insufficient to establish a current diagnosis.,The Veteran does not have hearing loss as there is no in-service noise exposure documented and his STRs do not show any relevant symptoms. The VA examiner found that his diagnosed condition is less likely than not related to service.,There is no in-service noise exposure documented and the Veteran's STRs do not show any relevant symptoms. The Board finds the opinions from private doctors outweighed by other medical evidence of record and insufficient to establish a current diagnosis.,The Veteran does not have a heart disorder as there is no in-service noise exposure documented and his STRs show he had a benign heart murmur at entrance to service. The VA examiners found that his atrial fibrillation is at least as likely as not related to herbicide exposure.,There is no in-service noise exposure documented and the Veteran's STRs do not show any relevant symptoms. The Board finds the opinions from private doctors outweighed by other medical evidence of record and insufficient to establish a current diagnosis.,The Veteran does not have hypertension prior to August 10, 2022 as his STRs show he had a benign heart murmur at entrance to service. The VA examiner found that his bradycardia is at least as likely as not related to herbicide exposure.,There is no in-service noise exposure documented and the Veteran's STRs do not show any relevant symptoms. The Board finds the opinions from private doctors outweighed by other medical evidence of record and insufficient to establish a current diagnosis.

Claimed conditions

Vertigo, Acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD, major depression disorder, anxiety disorder, insomnia), Hearing loss, Back disorder, Right hip disorder, Left hip disorder, Right knee disorder, Left knee disorder, Right lower extremity nerve disorder, Left lower extremity nerve disorder, Heart disorder (atrial fibrillation, bradycardia), Bilateral lower extremity edema (right and left), Hypertension, Erectile dysfunction

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

None in this decision

Decision date

November 7, 2023

Citation

23059876

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 23059876.