The Board has denied service connection for high cholesterol, sciatica prior to July 8, 2022, hypertension (claimed as high blood pressure), TMJ, GERD, CFS, bilateral ankle disabilities, tinnitus, headaches prior to December 29, 2023, insomnia with unrestful sleep, and a mental health disorder. The claims are being remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's high cholesterol is not considered a disability for VA compensation purposes and denied service connection for it. Service connection for sciatica prior to July 8, 2022, was also denied as it is secondary to his lumbar spine disability. The remaining claims are being remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Claimed conditions
- high cholesterol, sciatica, hypertension (claimed as high blood pressure), temporomandibular disorder (TMJ), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), left ankle disability, right ankle disability, tinnitus, headaches prior to December 29, 2023, insomnia with unrestful sleep, mental health disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 6, 2024
- Citation
- A24072232
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 828 · Granted: 42% (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 A24072232.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
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