The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of chronicity in service or within the applicable presumptive period.,The Veteran's right little finger disability does not warrant a compensable rating, as it is rated at noncompensable under Diagnostic Code 5230.,The Veteran's hypertension is currently rated at 10 percent and no higher due to lack of evidence showing diastolic pressure predominantly measuring 110 or more, or systolic pressure predominantly measuring 200 or more.,The Veteran's mitral valve insufficiency warrants a 10 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 7000 based on heart failure symptoms at a workload greater than 7.0 METs.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish that the Veteran's hearing loss was chronic in service or manifested to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period, nor does it show continuity of symptomatology.,The maximum schedular rating under Diagnostic Code 5230 is noncompensable for limited motion of the little finger.,There is no evidence showing diastolic pressure predominantly measuring 110 or more, or systolic pressure predominantly measuring 200 or more. The Veteran's hypertension is rated at 10 percent based on diastolic pressure predominantly measuring 100 or more requiring continuous medication for control.,The Veteran's heart failure symptoms are not shown at the requisite METs level and there is no evidence of cardiac hypertrophy or dilatation.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, right little finger disability, hypertension, mitral valve insufficiency
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 26, 2026
- Citation
- A26006743
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 A26006743.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
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