The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2 and hypertension due to exposure to herbicide agents, as well as his claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to diabetes or hypertension. The Board found that the Veteran did not serve in the Republic of Vietnam and thus was not exposed to herbicides during service.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show the Veteran's diabetes or hypertension were present in service or for many years thereafter, or that they are otherwise related to any in-service event or illness. The Veteran also did not serve on the landmass of Vietnam or within 12 nautical miles of it.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, type 2, hypertension, sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 1, 2021
- Citation
- 21039844
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 21039844.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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