The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as incurred in combat.,The Veteran's erectile dysfunction does not warrant a compensable rating.,The Veteran's hypertension does not warrant a higher than noncompensable rating.,The Veteran's sleep apnea may be service-connected due to its onset or aggravation by his service-connected hypertension.,The Veteran's chronic fatigue syndrome is remanded for further evaluation.
The deciding factor: Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted based on the combat presumption of risk and noise exposure in service. The Veteran served in Vietnam, received a purple heart with oak leaf cluster, and engaged in combat operations.,The Veteran's erectile dysfunction does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 7522 as there is no evidence of penile deformity or other disabling features.,The Veteran's hypertension does not warrant a higher than noncompensable rating as it meets the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 7522. No other code is more applicable.,Service connection for sleep apnea is granted based on the Veteran's service-connected hypertension and his reported history of TERA exposure, but further evaluation is needed to determine if any other medical conditions are present or related to service.,The Veteran's chronic fatigue syndrome is remanded as a 'comprehensive evaluation' is needed to rule out possible medical problems including hypogonadism. The relationship between the Veteran's chronic fatigue and his service-connected disabilities needs further clarification.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, sleep apnea, chronic fatigue syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 27, 2026
- Citation
- A26028055
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 A26028055.
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.
- 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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- 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.
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