The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetic retinopathy, an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for diabetes mellitus type II prior to August 29, 2016 and thereafter, and an initial compensable rating for hypertension. The claim for TDIU was also denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show the presence of a current disability related to diabetic retinopathy or any other condition that would warrant service connection. For diabetes mellitus type II, the Veteran's treatment required only a restricted diet and no insulin or oral hypoglycemic agent. For hypertension, there were no findings indicating it had reached the level requiring continuous medication for control.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetic retinopathy, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 13, 2020
- Citation
- 20002866
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,604 · Granted: 65% (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 20002866.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- 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.
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