The Board denied service connection for fatty liver, atrial fibrillation, heart disorder (ischemic heart disease), pancreatitis, and gall bladder removal as they were not shown to be related to the Veteran's active military service or in-service toxic exposure risk activities.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners opined that each of the diagnosed disorders was less likely than not caused by indicated in-service TERAs after considering the total potential exposure through all applicable military deployments of the Veteran and the synergistic combined effect of all toxic exposure risk activities of the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- fatty liver, atrial fibrillation, heart disorder (ischemic heart disease), pancreatitis, gall bladder removal
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 14, 2025
- Citation
- A25024000
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal regarding the Veteran's entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for atrial fibrillation is remanded due to unclear evidence on whether continuous medication is required for its control.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for chronic kidney disease, atrial fibrillation, hiatal hernia, COPD, and prostate cancer as a result of toxic exposure during the Veteran's military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including tension headaches, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and a bilateral hearing loss disability. The Board also denied an initial compensable rating for the Veteran's headache disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for atrial fibrillation to obtain a medical opinion under the PACT Act regarding the possibility of a nexus between the claimed disability and in-service exposure to toxins.
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