The appeal as to service connection for hypercholesterolemia is dismissed.,New and material evidence having been received, the previously denied claim of service connection for lumbar strain has been reopened. Service connection for a low back disability (including lumbar strain and degenerative arthritis/degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine) is granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not provide new and material evidence to reopen his previously denied claim of service connection for hypercholesterolemia.,The December 2017 VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's degenerative joint disease/degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was less likely than not incurred in or caused by mechanical low back pain during service and is more likely secondary to age-related changes accelerated and/or aggravated by prolonged overweight status.
- Claimed conditions
- hypercholesterolemia, lumbar strain, low back disability (including lumbar strain and degenerative arthritis/degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine), right shoulder disability (including subacromial/subdeltoid bursitis, shoulder strain, and degenerative arthritis), left elbow disability (including lateral epicondylitis)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 13, 2023
- Citation
- 23066080
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 23066080.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for service connection for various conditions including hypoglycemia, sinusitis, left foot pes planus, right foot pes planus, right foot plantar fasciitis, left ankle pain, left hip osteoarthritis, left knee sprain, bradycardia, dry eye, hernia, hypercholesterolemia, and bilateral hearing loss.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for right hand arthritis and left hand arthritis have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating for lumbar strain, radiculopathy of the left sciatic nerve, and radiculopathy of the right sciatic nerve have been remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for lumbar strain and lumbar intervertebral disc syndrome with left sciatica. The right lower extremity sciatica claim is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's back disability, diagnosed as lumbar strain, spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine, is causally related to service. As such, service connection for this condition is granted.
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