The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is denied as there is no evidence of chronic hypertension in service or within the applicable presumptive period.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II is also denied. The Board finds that the Veteran did not serve in Vietnam and thus cannot establish herbicide exposure. Additionally, secondary service connection to a service-connected condition (hypertension) is not granted as there is no evidence of hypertension in service.
The deciding factor: The medical opinion provided by the VA examiner found no evidence of chronic hypertension during active duty and noted that any reported high blood pressure readings were inconsistent with the Veteran's otherwise healthy status.,There was no credible evidence to support the Veteran’s claims of herbicide exposure or diabetes onset within the presumptive period. The Board also determined that secondary service connection could not be granted as there is no evidence of hypertension in service.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, diabetes mellitus, type II
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 19, 2021
- Citation
- 21030533
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 21030533.
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).
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- Whole decision: Denied
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