The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, on a presumptive basis due to herbicide agent exposure. The heart disability issue is remanded as the nature and etiology of any diagnosed heart disability need further clarification.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, type II, combined with in-service herbicide agent exposure during the Vietnam Era, meets the criteria for service connection on a presumptive basis. The heart disability issue requires additional examination to determine its nature and etiology.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, type II, heart disability
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19110881
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,062 · Granted: 34% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19110881.
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
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The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is granted on a secondary basis with obesity serving as an intermediate step due to service-connected low back disability, sciatica, and right shoulder disabilities.
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The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and left arm tremors. Service connection for right hand tremors is also granted. The Veteran's tinnitus claim was denied as there is no current diagnosis of tinnitus.
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