The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, eye disability, erectile dysfunction, skin disability, and painful joints due to a lack of evidence supporting their onset in or relationship to active duty. The claim for a heart disability was remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's claimed conditions were related to his service, including exposure to herbicide agents.
- Claimed conditions
- Diabetes mellitus, Hypertension, Right lower extremity (RLE) peripheral neuropathy, Left lower extremity (LLE) peripheral neuropathy, Bilateral eye disability, Erectile dysfunction, Skin disability, Painful joints, including knees
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 11, 2025
- Citation
- 25007775
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension, to include as secondary to left orchiectomy, for further development in accordance with the PACT Act.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 29, 2019 for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder but denied earlier effective dates and increased ratings for other conditions.
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.