The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of atrial fibrillation, hypertension, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and a surgical bypass scar were denied. The effective date for the grant of a 30 percent rating for atrial fibrillation was not earlier than May 1, 2020.,Compensable ratings for hypertension, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss were also denied. A compensable rating for the surgical bypass scar was not granted.,The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his combined service-connected disability rating did not meet the threshold for a TDIU.

The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not support more than 4 episodes of atrial fibrillation per year prior to May 1, 2020. The Veteran's hypertension required continuous medication but diastolic pressures were not predominantly 100 or more and systolic pressure was not predominantly 160 or more.,The Veteran's tinnitus is rated at the maximum allowed by law (10 percent). His hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating due to the absence of exceptional patterns of impairment, despite his difficulty understanding conversations.,The surgical bypass scar was rated as noncompensable because it did not cause instability or pain that affected function. The Veteran's testimony about hearing difficulties in noise-filled environments was considered but did not warrant a higher rating.

Claimed conditions

Atrial Fibrillation, Hypertension (HTN), Tinnitus, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Surgical Bypass Scar

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

None in this decision

Decision date

November 15, 2024

Citation

A24075066

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 A24075066.