The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension and diabetes are related to his military service, including exposure to ionizing radiation. The VA examiner did not provide an opinion on whether the Veteran’s exposure to ionizing radiation in service resulted in his current diagnoses of hypertension and diabetes.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the VA examiner's opinions were inadequate for adjudication due to a lack of diagnosis of hypertension or diabetes in service based on unavailable service treatment records, and because they did not provide an opinion as to whether the Veteran’s exposure to ionizing radiation during active service resulted in his current diagnoses.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertensive vascular disease (hypertension), diabetes mellitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2018
- Citation
- 18142350
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18142350.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular Aid and Attendance is granted as of April 25, 2024.,For diabetes mellitus, a rating in excess of 20 percent is denied.
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