The Board granted service connection for acid reflux / GERD, colonic diverticulitis, gallstones, diastasis of muscle, BPH, OSA, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and thyroid disease disorder (also claimed as autoimmune thyroid disease disorder), all as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, type 2.
The deciding factor: The probative evidence weighed in favor of the claims based on medical opinions indicating that the Veteran's weight gain was aggravated by his service-connected diabetes, leading to the development or exacerbation of the other claimed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Acid reflux / gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Colonic diverticulitis, Gallstones, Diastasis of muscle, Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), Hyperlipidemia, Hypertension, Thyroid disease disorder (also claimed as autoimmune thyroid disease disorder)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 16, 2025
- Citation
- A25044272
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 831 · Granted: 48% (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 A25044272.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), finding that both conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lower back condition and sinusitis, respectively.
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