BVA decisions by condition
Diabetes mellitus: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2018 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a diabetes issue in 28,083 decisions. It granted the diabetes issue in 20.8% of them, close to the 19.9% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 37.1%, and remanded it in 40.9%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 35.9% were granted.
Decisions
28,083
2018–2026
Granted
20.8%
All conditions: 19.9%
Granted on the merits
35.9%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
40.9%
Denied: 37.1%
Diabetes mellitus outcomes by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 3,548 | 15.3% | 45.6% | 35.8% |
| 2019 | 3,849 | 18.6% | 38.7% | 41.0% |
| 2020 | 3,759 | 19.3% | 37.7% | 42.2% |
| 2021 | 3,128 | 19.3% | 37.8% | 42.1% |
| 2022 | 3,377 | 23.8% | 32.5% | 42.2% |
| 2023 | 3,487 | 22.6% | 33.5% | 43.1% |
| 2024 | 3,019 | 25.0% | 32.7% | 42.3% |
| 2025 | 2,843 | 21.5% | 37.4% | 40.0% |
| 2026 | 1,073 | 27.0% | 35.7% | 36.6% |
Evidence in granted and denied diabetes decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the diabetes issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buddy statement | 1,100 | 65.8% | 34.5% | +31.3 pts |
| Positive nexus opinion | 3,838 | 59.4% | 31.2% | +28.3 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 2,868 | 51.7% | 33.6% | +18.2 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 6,020 | 48.2% | 33.8% | +14.4 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 1,527 | 47.7% | 35.1% | +12.6 pts |
| Combat service | 1,505 | 44.4% | 35.4% | +9.0 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 7,922 | 40.9% | 33.6% | +7.4 pts |
| Lay statement | 21,514 | 35.0% | 40.1% | −5.2 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 72.2% of the decisions that granted diabetes.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 42.6% of grants and 10.6% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often diabetes was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 10,757 | 26.8% | 42.1% | −15.3 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 16,568 | 26.1% | 54.6% | −28.6 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied diabetes
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established996
- Veteran served in thailand during vietnam era193
- Presumed exposure to herbicide agents92
- Presumption of herbicide exposure applies53
- New and material evidence received to reopen claim51
- Criteria for service connection met50
- Veteran served in vietnam44
- Presumptive service connection for diabetes mellitus due to herbicide exposure41
Most common reasons in denials
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis1,050
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim775
- Service records negative or silent768
- Va examiner: less likely than not related to service511
- No current diagnosis483
- No continuity of symptomatology448
- Current diagnosis established314
- Continuity of symptomatology since service176
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent diabetes decisions
Granted
Secondary to service-connected chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, hypothyroidism, and/or hypogonadism; 38 C.F.R. § 3.310 criteria met
Private opinion found PTSD contributed to metabolic dysfunction.; Conflicting opinions between VA and private examiners.; Benefit of the doubt resolved in Veteran's favor.
Service-connected disabilities aggravated obesity; Obesity was substantial factor in causing diabetes; Diabetes would not have occurred but for obesity
Denied
No established in-service event (herbicide exposure); Service treatment records negative for diabetes; No VA examination required due to lack of in-service event
No evidence of herbicide exposure in Taiwan.; No evidence of radiation exposure.; Condition did not onset during service or within one year of separation.; No continuity of symptoms from service to diagnosis.
No in-service complaints or diagnosis in STRs; DMII not presumptive for Camp Lejeune TERA; June 2025 VA opinion found DMII less likely than not caused by TERA; Morbid obesity assessed as likely cause of DMII
Rules that apply to diabetes claims
- 38 CFR 4.119 · DC 7913
Schedule of ratings: endocrine system
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.309(e)
Presumptive service connection (herbicide exposure)
Read it in VA Law Explorer - M21-1 V.iii.11.1
Diabetes: evaluation, scope of the claim, effective dates
Read it in VA Law Explorer - M21-1 V.iii.11.2
Complications of diabetes and when to rate them separately
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your diabetes case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a diabetes issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2018–2026) and can contain errors. Updated automatically as new decisions are added.
- Research aid, not legal advice. Verify each decision and regulation before relying on it.