The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, COPD, diabetes mellitus type II, diabetic neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, OSA, left and right below knee amputations, bilateral lower extremity scars, and CAD as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence supports a causal relationship between the Veteran's in-service exposures and his current conditions, with hypertension, COPD, diabetic neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, OSA, left and right below knee amputations, bilateral lower extremity scars, and CAD all being found to be secondary to diabetes mellitus type II.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes mellitus, type II, diabetic neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), left below knee amputation, right below knee amputation, bilateral amputation scars of the lower extremities, coronary artery disease (CAD), end-stage renal disease (ESRD)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 30, 2026
- Citation
- A26028377
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 A26028377.
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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