The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension, as these conditions may be related to herbicide exposure during service. The AOJ is instructed to verify the exact locations of all vessels the Veteran served aboard during his Vietnam Era service and determine if any vessel entered inland waterways or was docked in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was insufficient evidence to determine whether the Veteran's hypertension and diabetes mellitus were related to herbicide exposure, as the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) study did not conclude a positive link between hypertension and Agent Orange exposure. However, the examiner is instructed to consider other factors such as personal circumstances and risk factors.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 27, 2018
- Citation
- 18138696
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 18138696.
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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