The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, retinal occlusion and chronic kidney disease. The Veteran's hypertension was remanded due to the need for a VA examination.,Service connection for residuals of left-sided cerebrovascular accident is also remanded as it may be related to his hypertension.
The deciding factor: The Board found no current diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, and thus denied service connection. The Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam was presumed.,For retinal occlusion and chronic kidney disease, the Board conceded exposure but found no evidence linking these conditions to service. For hypertension, a VA examination is needed as there is an article suggesting a link between hypertension and military service in Vietnam.,The Veteran's hypertension may be related to his service-connected ischemic heart disease, or it could be due to other factors not related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, retinal occlusion, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, residuals of left-sided cerebrovascular accident
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 18, 2018
- Citation
- 18119033
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 18119033.
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.
- 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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