38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.119

Diabetes insipidus — VA Diagnostic Code 7909

Endocrine

Diagnostic code

7909

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38 CFR § 4.119 lists Diagnostic Code 7909 as “Diabetes insipidus:”. The title ends with a colon. The rating cell on that title is empty. The next line is 30. A note with an empty rating cell is printed next. The line after the note is 10. Appendix B to Part 4 indexes “Diabetes insipidus.”

Reviewed 2026-10-05. Text checked against the eCFR versioner full-text XML for 2026-10-01 on 2026-10-05. Title 38 was up to date as of 2026-10-01 and last amended on 2026-08-27. The § 4.119 source note prints 61 FR 20446, May 7, 1996, as amended at 82 FR 50804, Nov. 2, 2017.

The rating criteria at each level

7909 Diabetes insipidus

Rating %: 30

Criteria (verbatim). For three months after initial diagnosis

Rating %: 10

Criteria (verbatim). With persistent polyuria or requiring continuous hormonal therapy

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
30	For three months after initial diagnosis
10	With persistent polyuria or requiring continuous hormonal therapy

Note: Thereafter, if diabetes insipidus has subsided, rate residuals under the appropriate diagnostic code(s) within the appropriate body system.

In the table, that note is the row between the 30 percent line and the 10 percent line. The note’s rating cell is empty.

The 30 percent line says “For three months after initial diagnosis.” It does not say six months. DC 7900 is hyperthyroidism, including, but not limited to, Graves' disease, and its first line is “For six months after initial diagnosis,” also at 30. That six-month line is not printed on DC 7909. 38 CFR § 4.31 says that in every instance where the schedule does not provide a zero percent evaluation for a diagnostic code, a zero percent evaluation shall be assigned when the requirements for a compensable evaluation are not met. DC 7909 does not print a 0 percent line. 38 CFR § 4.7 assigns the higher rating when the disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria required for that rating. Otherwise, the lower rating will be assigned. 38 CFR § 4.6 requires each element affecting the evidence to be studied so that decisions will be equitable and just. 38 CFR § 4.14 says the evaluation of the same disability under various diagnoses is to be avoided, and that the evaluation of the same manifestation under different diagnoses is to be avoided.

The 10 percent line is “With persistent polyuria or requiring continuous hormonal therapy.” The word is “or.” The note’s word is “if diabetes insipidus has subsided.” The note then says to rate residuals under the appropriate diagnostic code(s) within the appropriate body system. It does not name those codes.

DC 7913 is “Diabetes mellitus.” That is a different title. The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309 lists “Diabetes mellitus” and “Endocrinopathies.” It does not contain “insipidus.” DC 7911 is Addison's disease (adrenocortical insufficiency). DC 7903 is hypothyroidism. Neither title is printed on the DC 7909 rows.

Source: 38 CFR § 4.119, Diagnostic Code 7909, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01.

What the words mean in your records

Three months, then the note, then 10

The 30 percent line is limited to three months after initial diagnosis. The note is the next row. The 10 percent line follows the note and requires persistent polyuria or continuous hormonal therapy.

The note applies if the disease has subsided

The note says: thereafter, if diabetes insipidus has subsided, rate residuals under the appropriate diagnostic code(s) within the appropriate body system. It does not name the code.

Diabetes mellitus is DC 7913

DC 7913 is “Diabetes mellitus.” Section 3.309(a) lists “Diabetes mellitus.” The same paragraph does not contain “insipidus.” It does list the word “Endocrinopathies” without naming DC 7909.

Evidence that speaks to each level

30 — three months after initial diagnosis

What the rater needs to see. The initial diagnosis and the three-month period the line names.

Where that usually lives. The record that dates the initial diagnosis.

10 — persistent polyuria or continuous hormonal therapy

What the rater needs to see. Persistent polyuria, or continuous hormonal therapy. The line uses “or.”

Where that usually lives. The endocrine records of polyuria or of the hormonal therapy.

Level	What the rater needs to see	Where that usually lives
30 — three months after initial diagnosis	The initial diagnosis and the three-month period the line names.	The record that dates the initial diagnosis.
10 — persistent polyuria or continuous hormonal therapy	Persistent polyuria, or continuous hormonal therapy. The line uses “or.”	The endocrine records of polyuria or of the hormonal therapy.

VA’s public DBQ list, checked October 5, 2026, names “Endocrine (Other than Thyroid, Parathyroid or Diabetes Mellitus).” The file is Endocrine (Other than Thyroid, Parathyroid or Diabetes Mellitus). Diabetes mellitus has a separate public form. This page does not treat that form as the DC 7909 criteria.

The exam form

DC 7909 prints 30, a note, and 10. This page does not say either endocrine form replaces those lines.

Related codes and how they interact

Hyperthyroidism uses six months, not three.

DC 7900’s first line is 30 percent for six months after initial diagnosis. DC 7909’s first line is 30 percent for three months after initial diagnosis. Diabetes mellitus is DC 7913.

Secondary conditions and presumptions

Section 3.309(a) lists “Diabetes mellitus” and “Endocrinopathies.” It does not contain “insipidus,” and it does not name DC 7909. This page does not decide whether diabetes insipidus meets the word “Endocrinopathies.”

A separate question, when a presumption does not decide it, is a medical question on the facts under 38 CFR § 3.310. Paragraph (a) covers disability proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disease or injury. Paragraph (b) covers increase in severity and requires a medical baseline.

Short answers

How does VA rate diabetes insipidus under DC 7909?

Under 38 CFR § 4.119, diabetes insipidus is 30 percent for three months after initial diagnosis, and 10 percent with persistent polyuria or continuous hormonal therapy. If the disease has subsided, the note says to rate residuals under the appropriate diagnostic code(s) within the appropriate body system. Education only. VA decides on the evidence.

Where is the note printed?

The note is the table row between the 30 percent line and the 10 percent line. Its rating cell is empty. Education only.

FAQ

What percentages does DC 7909 print?

30 percent for three months after initial diagnosis, and 10 percent with persistent polyuria or requiring continuous hormonal therapy. A note between those rows says that if diabetes insipidus has subsided, rate residuals under the appropriate diagnostic code(s) within the appropriate body system. Education only.

Is diabetes insipidus the same code as diabetes mellitus?

No. DC 7909 is “Diabetes insipidus.” DC 7913 is “Diabetes mellitus.” Section 3.309(a) lists “Diabetes mellitus” and does not contain “insipidus.”

Does this code print a zero percent line?

No. Section 4.31 is the general rule for a code that does not provide a zero percent evaluation when the compensable requirements are not met.

Next steps

Read the decision for DC 7909, the diagnosis date, and whether it used the 30 percent line, the 10 percent line, or the subsided-disease note.
The free worksheet is a place to write the code, the findings, and the records you already have. It does not file a claim or protect a filing date. An accredited representative is at find a VSO.
Other endocrine codes are on the endocrine diagnostic-code index. The category page is endocrine conditions. Diabetes mellitus is the diabetes guide.

Education only. Not legal or medical advice. My Claim Packet is not a VA-accredited representative and does not file claims. VA decides every claim on its own evidence.

Other codes in this body system

Nearby catalog entries in Endocrine, ordered by diagnostic code number. All Endocrine codes

Also: DC code lookup (tools) lists the same index in a compact layout.

Source: 38 CFR Part 4, Diagnostic Code 7909 • va.gov

⚠️ Important Disclaimer

This page provides general educational information based on public VA regulations and VA.gov resources. It is not legal or medical advice, and My Claim Packet is not a VA-accredited representative. Any worksheets or draft documents produced by the tools must be reviewed for accuracy and are not filed with VA for you. Ratings and service connection are decided case-by-case from the individual record. Consult a VA-accredited VSO, claims agent, attorney, or qualified clinician for help with your situation, and verify current rules using the linked official source.