The Board has remanded three issues: service connection for diabetes mellitus, service connection for erectile dysfunction (ED), and service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity. The primary issue is whether any service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated obesity, which in turn led to diabetes mellitus. If so, the examiner must determine if obesity was a substantial factor in causing ED and if it would have occurred without obesity.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected conditions may have contributed to his obesity, which is an intermediate step for secondary service connection of diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction (ED).
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, obesity, erectile dysfunction (ED), peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 6, 2022
- Citation
- 22026972
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 22026972.
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 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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, visual impairment, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to new evidence and development needs. The maximum disability rating for tinnitus has already been assigned.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, right lower extremity peripheral artery disease, left lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and hypertension as the evidence did not establish an in-service event or exposure to herbicide agents.
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