The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, kidney disorder, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's HTN is being evaluated for its onset during service or causation by diabetes. His kidney condition and peripheral neuropathy are also being evaluated for their onset during service or causation by diabetes.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the current medical opinions were not sufficient to determine whether the Veteran’s conditions are related to his service-connected disabilities, specifically diabetes.
- Claimed conditions
- Hypertension (HTN), Kidney condition, Peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities (PN BUE)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20000702
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 remands the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a stomach disorder, HTN, and a heart condition due to the need for additional evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for hypertension, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure with ICD placement, diabetes mellitus, gastroesophageal reflux disease, tinnitus, sinus tachycardia, and cardiomyopathy. The claims for irritable bowel syndrome and an acquired psychiatric disorder were remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as there was no evidence supporting a compensable rating or service connection for any of the claimed conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial 30 percent rating for right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, a 20 percent rating for left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and a 10 percent rating for hypertension. The claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied.
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