The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension has been reopened and granted, with the presumption of exposure to herbicide agents under the PACT Act.,Service connection is also granted for diabetes mellitus, but a higher rating than 40 percent is denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hypertension was found to be presumptively associated with his service-connected diabetes due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents. The diabetes claim was not fully substantiated as the evidence did not demonstrate episodes of ketoacidosis or hypoglycemic reactions requiring hospitalizations.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, sensorineural hearing loss right ear, diabetes mellitus
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- February 15, 2023
- Citation
- 23009798
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 23009798.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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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