The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is presumed to have been incurred in service due to herbicide exposure. His erectile dysfunction is secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Veteran has a refractive error of the eyes, which is not considered a disease or injury for compensation purposes.
The deciding factor: Diabetes mellitus was found to be presumptively related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. Erectile dysfunction was determined to be secondary to the service-connected diabetes mellitus. Refractive error does not meet the criteria for service connection as it is not considered a disease or injury under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, refractive error
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 31, 2017
- Citation
- 1749061
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 1749061.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, visual impairment, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to new evidence and development needs. The maximum disability rating for tinnitus has already been assigned.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, right lower extremity peripheral artery disease, left lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and hypertension as the evidence did not establish an in-service event or exposure to herbicide agents.
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