The Veteran's claim for high cholesterol is denied as it is a laboratory finding and not a disease or disability under VA law.,Service connection for peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity, secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II, is denied due to lack of current diagnosis.,Service connection for peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity, secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II, is denied due to lack of current diagnosis.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for his acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD, major depressive disorder, anxiety, and somatoform disorder) is denied as there are no current symptoms that meet the criteria for a higher rating under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, is denied as there is no evidence of secondary service connection.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's high cholesterol was found to be a laboratory finding and not a disease or disability under VA law. Therefore, it cannot be granted service connection.,There is no current diagnosis of bilateral lower peripheral neuropathy in the record. The March 2011 VA examiner determined that the Veteran did not have a diagnosis of bilateral lower peripheral neuropathy, and the February 2014 VA examiner also found no such condition.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD, major depressive disorder, anxiety, and somatoform disorder) is currently rated as 30 percent disabling under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders. The symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating.,There is no evidence of secondary service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, in this case.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired Psychiatric Disability (PTSD, Major Depressive Disorder, Anxiety, and Somatoform Disorder), Diabetes Mellitus, Type II, High Cholesterol, Peripheral Neuropathy, Left Lower Extremity, Peripheral Neuropathy, Right Lower Extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 27, 2019
- Citation
- 19113756
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,242 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19113756.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD alone is sufficient to grant a TDIU, and his other service-connected disabilities are at least 60% combined. The Veteran also meets the criteria for SMC based on housebound status.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations and effective dates have been denied. The Veteran's arteriosclerotic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities are currently rated at 60 percent, 20 percent, and varying percentages respectively.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities, which render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, finding that the condition first manifested during military service and is related to in-service glycosuria.
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