The Board denied service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, diabetic neuropathy of the lower extremities, PVD, ulcers, and hypertension as they are not related to service or herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: There is no direct evidence linking these conditions to service or herbicide exposure. The Veteran's STRs do not show any diagnosis of DM II or its complications during his active duty service in Korea from August 1965 to August 1966.
- Claimed conditions
- Type II diabetes mellitus, Diabetic neuropathy, right lower extremity, Diabetic neuropathy, left lower extremity, Peripheral vascular disease (PVD), right lower extremity, Peripheral vascular disease (PVD), left lower extremity, Ulcers, right lower extremity, Ulcers, left lower extremity, Hypertension (HTN)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 29, 2022
- Citation
- 22043233
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 22043233.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service at Udorn RTAFB and thus meets the criteria for presumptive service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension, as it is related to his service-connected major depressive disorder. The VA examiner's opinion was inadequate and less probative due to its failure to provide a direct service connection opinion or an aggravation opinion regarding the Veteran's hypertension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected hypertension and somatic symptom disorder are denied. The Board has remanded the claims for cardiovascular, peripheral artery disease, and lung cancer with emphysema.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.