BVA decisions by condition
Peptic ulcer disease: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a peptic ulcer disease issue in 2,328 decisions. It granted the peptic ulcer disease issue in 13.5% of them, below the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 34.8%, and remanded it in 48.8%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 28.0% were granted.
Decisions
2,328
2017–2026
Granted
13.5%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
28.0%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
48.8%
Denied: 34.8%
Peptic ulcer disease outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 212 | 7.1% | 37.3% | 47.6% | 8.0% |
| 2018 | 311 | 10.6% | 36.0% | 45.3% | 8.0% |
| 2019 | 289 | 9.0% | 39.8% | 47.4% | 3.8% |
| 2020 | 315 | 16.5% | 36.5% | 43.8% | 3.2% |
| 2021 | 254 | 13.8% | 34.3% | 48.4% | 3.5% |
| 2022 | 245 | 13.5% | 31.0% | 53.1% | 2.4% |
| 2023 | 266 | 13.5% | 29.7% | 54.5% | 2.3% |
| 2024 | 230 | 12.2% | 34.8% | 51.7% | 1.3% |
| 2025 | 190 | 21.6% | 33.7% | 43.2% | 1.6% |
| 2026 | 78 | 24.4% | 26.9% | 47.4% | 1.3% |
Each row counts issues (each condition the Board decided), so the shares add up to 100%. Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome. Years with fewer than 50 issues are left out.
Evidence in granted and denied peptic ulcer disease decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the peptic ulcer disease issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Favorable VA exam | 238 | 53.4% | 22.7% | +30.6 pts |
| Positive nexus opinion | 303 | 52.5% | 22.6% | +29.9 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 390 | 46.2% | 25.3% | +20.8 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 104 | 47.1% | 26.7% | +20.3 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 606 | 34.9% | 24.8% | +10.1 pts |
| Combat service | 110 | 30.0% | 27.9% | +2.1 pts |
| Lay statement | 1,850 | 27.1% | 33.3% | −6.3 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 69.2% of the decisions that granted peptic ulcer disease.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 35.9% of grants and 12.9% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often peptic ulcer disease was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 1,071 | 24.3% | 31.9% | −7.7 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 1,578 | 26.1% | 34.9% | −8.7 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied peptic ulcer disease
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established26
- Continuity of symptomatology since service10
- Caused by the service-connected disability7
- Service connection established4
- Evidence evenly balanced3
- Continuous moderate manifestations3
- Already at the maximum schedular rating3
- Veteran diagnosed with duodenal ulcers2
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis130
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim85
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service64
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis54
- Current diagnosis established49
- Service records negative or silent40
- Criteria for service connection not met20
- No continuity of symptomatology19
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent peptic ulcer disease decisions
Granted
Secondary service connection theory supported by evidence; Linked to service-connected DVT; Resolving reasonable doubt in veteran's favor
Evidence supports 20 percent rating under DC 7305; Symptoms of intermittent abdominal pain and nausea documented; Higher ratings not warranted due to lack of weight loss or severe incapacitating episodes
Service connection granted for peptic ulcers; Presumptive basis due to chronicity; In-service symptoms and continuity of symptomatology
Denied
Evidence did not meet criteria for compensable rating prior to Dec 21, 2023; No alkaline gastritis, recurrent ulcer, or mild circulatory symptoms prior to Dec 21, 2023; Evidence did not meet criteria for rating higher than 40% after Dec 21, 2023; No severe symptoms, anemia, weight loss, or specific postgastrectomy complications documented
No in-service onset or treatment for ulcer disability; VA examiner found GERD not related to service or TERA; Obesity noted as risk factor
Veteran sought increased rating for gastric ulcer.; Board previously increased rating to 20% (pre-May 19, 2024) and 40% (post-May 19, 2024).; Evidence persuasively weighed against claim for higher rating; benefit of doubt doctrine not applicable.
Rules that apply to peptic ulcer disease claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your peptic ulcer disease case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a peptic ulcer disease issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.