The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and related conditions have been granted. Service connection is also established for ischemic heart disease, diabetic neuropathy of the lower extremities, and left upper extremity, but not for right upper extremity.
The deciding factor: Service connection was granted based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service in Thailand, as well as the Veteran's documented history of diabetes mellitus type II. The Board found that the diabetic neuropathy conditions were caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.
- Claimed conditions
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type II, Ischemic Heart Disease, Diabetic Neuropathy of the Left Lower Extremity, Diabetic Neuropathy of the Right Lower Extremity, Diabetic Neuropathy of the Left Upper Extremity, Diabetic Neuropathy of the Right Upper Extremity
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 15, 2024
- Citation
- 24007958
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 24007958.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD alone is sufficient to grant a TDIU, and his other service-connected disabilities are at least 60% combined. The Veteran also meets the criteria for SMC based on housebound status.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected ischemic heart disease was granted a 30% disability rating effective August 31, 2010. The condition manifested as cardiac hypertrophy and a workload of greater than 5.0 but less than 7.0 METs without congestive heart failure or LVEF of 50 percent or less.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations and effective dates have been denied. The Veteran's arteriosclerotic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities are currently rated at 60 percent, 20 percent, and varying percentages respectively.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, ischemic heart disease, diabetic neuropathy, prostate cancer residuals, bilateral diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities (sciatic), and diabetes mellitus Type 2, combine to result in physical or mental impairment that renders him so helpless as to require regular aid and attendance of another person. However, the need for aid and attendance must be determined without considering nonservice-connected disabilities.
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