Not necessarily. The VA’s “aggravation” standard means that if a pre-existing condition was worsened beyond its natural progression by military service, you may still qualify for service connection. The VA is required to presume that conditions identified at entry were not aggravated by service only if it can produce clear and unmistakable evidence to that effect. The burden falls on the VA to overcome the aggravation presumption, not on the veteran to prove it. An attorney can help ensure the VA does not improperly use a pre-existing notation to deny a claim that should succeed under the aggravation standard.