Diabetes decisions — 2014

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss. The remaining issues on appeal are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities, including his newly service-connected depression, are found to be sufficiently severe as to prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's hypertension is due to or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes, and the Board grants this claim.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for diabetes mellitus, which he claims is related to his service-connected depressive disorder. The Board has determined that additional development is needed and the case is being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a more recent examination to evaluate the current severity of his service-connected diabetes mellitus with diabetic retinopathy, impotence and bilateral cataracts.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran currently has diabetes mellitus, which would then allow for a determination on his claims of service connection for peripheral neuropathy as due to diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and records review.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus, type II was denied as the disability currently requires treatment with insulin or an oral hypoglycemic agent and a restricted diet but not regulation of activities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and sleep apnea to allow for further development. The Veteran's obesity is being evaluated in relation to her service-connected psychiatric disability (depression with psychotic features and PTSD).

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to March 2, 2009 is denied as he does not meet the schedular criteria for consideration of TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a).

The Board finds that the Veteran's service on USS Independence did not qualify him for presumptive exposure to herbicides. The evidence does not establish actual exposure, and there is no competent medical opinion linking diabetes mellitus to service or any other theory of entitlement.

The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure and denied service connection for diabetes mellitus with diabetic retinopathy and peripheral neuropathy due to lack of in-service disease or injury.

The case is being remanded for the VA examiner to provide a response regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea was caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus and/or posttraumatic stress disorder. The examiner must respond specifically to both conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination and development due to the failure to report for a VA examination, worsening of his service-connected conditions since the last examinations in March 2008, and need for a new total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension as secondary to his service-connected PTSD and/or diabetes mellitus is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of his hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and no service connection for diabetes mellitus with peripheral neuropathy could be decided as he died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further evaluation due to the addition of service-connected hypothyroidism, which has changed his combined rating from 70% to 80%. The VA will need to determine if the combination of disabilities prevents him from securing and maintaining employment.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for service-connected diabetes mellitus, currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling, was denied because the evidence did not show that he required insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetic retinopathy has not resulted in a disability evaluation higher than 20 percent prior to August 25, 2010.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete compliance with previous remand directives.