The Board finds that the Veteran's cellulitis of the right lower extremity is made worse by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and grants service connection for this condition on a secondary basis. The Board also finds that the Veteran's hypertension was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.
The deciding factor: The October 2008 VA examiner opined that the Veteran's hypertension was less likely than not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and was less likely than not made worse by his diabetes mellitus. The examiner explained that the Veteran's hypertension was diagnosed at the same time as his diabetes mellitus.
- Claimed conditions
- cellulitis of the right lower extremity, hypertension, atriial fibrillation
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 26, 2010
- Citation
- 1019625
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1019625.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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