The Veteran's heart disorder was not incurred in service and is not presumed to have been incurred in service.,For the entire appeal period, ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine or intervertebral disc syndrome with incapacitating episodes are not shown nor were they diagnosed.,Voiding dysfunction at most is manifested by nocturia occurring three to four times per night and daytime voiding between two to three hours.,There is no treatment for an active recurrence of vocal cord cancer during the appeal period, and there is no evidence of residuals of vocal cord cancer to include treatment therefor.,The service-connected adjustment disorder does not more nearly approximate occupational and social impairment.,The Veteran meets the schedular requirement for TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities for the entire appeal period.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the Veteran's heart disorder began many years after service, and it was less likely than not caused by active duty military service. The examiner opined that the Veteran's family history of coronary artery disease, smoking in the past heavily, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, as well as a first degree relative being a parent having a heart attack, are all far more likely than his exposures during active duty military service to cause his cardiac diagnoses.,The Veteran did not have ankylosis or intervertebral disc syndrome with incapacitating episodes of the thoracolumbar spine. The criteria for higher ratings were not met as there was no evidence of functional impairment due to pain, weakness, excess fatigability, incoordination, swelling, or atrophy.,The Veteran's voiding dysfunction did not meet the criteria for an initial compensable rating as it is manifested by nocturia occurring three to four times per night and daytime voiding between two to three hours. The criteria for higher ratings were not met due to lack of evidence of functional impairment due to pain, weakness, excess fatigability, incoordination, swelling, or atrophy.,The Veteran's vocal cord cancer did not meet the criteria for an initial compensable rating as there is no treatment for an active recurrence of vocal cord cancer during the appeal period. The criteria for higher ratings were not met due to lack of evidence of functional impairment due to pain, weakness, excess fatigability, incoordination, swelling, or atrophy.,The Veteran's adjustment disorder did not more nearly approximate occupational and social impairment as he was able to work despite his service-connected disabilities. The criteria for higher ratings were not met due to lack of evidence of functional impairment due to pain, weakness, excess fatigability, incoordination, swelling, or atrophy.,The Veteran meets the schedular requirement for TDIU and his service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disorder, lumbosacral strain (back disorder), voiding dysfunction due to prostate hypertrophy (voiding dysfunction), vocal cord cancer, adjustment disorder with anxious features
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 10, 2026
- Citation
- A26012543
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 A26012543.
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- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to August 31, 2017, for the award of service connection for lumbosacral strain (back disorder) was denied as a matter of law.,Claims for left lower extremity radiculopathy and right lower extremity radiculopathy were also denied with effective dates set at July 12, 2021.
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- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left hip disorder, bilateral ankle disorder, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, heart disorder, insomnia, sexual arousal disorder, gynecological disorder, rheumatoid arthritis, and HTN. The evidence did not support a current diagnosis of these conditions or their relationship to military service.
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