The Board has ordered a new examination to address the Veteran's hypertension and its relationship to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, including diabetic complications. The remand also requires addressing previous medical records and opinions.
The deciding factor: The examiner must provide an opinion regarding whether it is at least as likely as not that any current hypertension was caused or aggravated by service-connected diabetes mellitus, including the service-connected diabetic complications of neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, and erectile dysfunction. The significance of the July 14, 2006 finding of mild chronic renal insufficiency and the September 2003 VA examination report must be discussed.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, diabetes mellitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 25, 2014
- Citation
- 1408078
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 1408078.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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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