The Board denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and remanded the claim for an upper respiratory infection due to a lack of evidence supporting a diagnosis.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a current diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome, and there was insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the Veteran's claimed toxic exposures and his upper respiratory issues.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic fatigue syndrome, upper respiratory infection/dyspnea on exertion (claimed as shortness of breath)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 21, 2025
- Citation
- A25045539
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 60 percent disability rating for chronic fatigue syndrome and a 30 percent disability rating for sinusitis, while remanding the claims for service connection for an ovarian condition and increased ratings for tension headaches.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of February 23, 2022, for the award of service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome.
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