The Board has remanded the claims for arteriosclerotic heart disease, type II diabetes mellitus, and related neuropathies and retinopathy as secondary to diabetes mellitus due to herbicide exposure. The case is returned to the RO for further action.
The deciding factor: Substantial compliance with a March 2020 Board remand directive was not achieved in obtaining the September 1971 Army report discussing herbicide/defoliant program, and another remand is necessary.
- Claimed conditions
- arteriosclerotic heart disease, type II diabetes mellitus, neuropathy of the left lower extremity, neuropathy of the right lower extremity, neuropathy of the left upper extremity, neuropathy of the right upper extremity, bilateral retinopathy, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 23, 2022
- Citation
- 22030383
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 22030383.
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.
- 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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