The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension. However, as there is no credible evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides or any other form of Agent Orange, and neither condition manifested within one year of separation from service, service connection cannot be established.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service treatment records do not show a diagnosis of either diabetes mellitus or hypertension. The Veteran reported that he went ashore in Vietnam during his service on the USS Constellation but there is no credible evidence to support this claim. As such, neither condition can be linked to active military service.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 6, 2017
- Citation
- 1719996
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 1719996.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- 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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