The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2; a back and/or cervical spine disorder; hypertension (all claimed as secondary to service-connected disabilities); and a right knee disorder. The reasons given were that there was no evidence showing these conditions began during or were aggravated by service or service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found the Veteran's obesity, which led to his diabetes, hypertension, back/neck issues, and right knee problems, was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected left shoulder and left ankle disabilities. The Veteran did not provide sufficient evidence to support a secondary service connection claim for these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, type 2, hypertension, back and/or cervical spine disorder, right knee disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 28, 2022
- Citation
- 22066061
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 22066061.
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
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- 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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