Diabetes decisions — 2017

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the pending service connection claims. The issues of service connection for various conditions are also being considered.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for lumbar spine disability and denied reopening of his cervical spine claim. The cervical spine claim was also denied as secondary to service-connected lumbar spine degenerative arthritis.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent disabling, effective December 14, 2010. The Board granted a TDIU rating from that date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and generalized anxiety. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability is related to his service, but his diabetes mellitus was not present during or within one year after service and is not linked to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment since May 31, 2002.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining records of VA treatment from June 2017 to the present and arranging for examinations by a dermatologist, endocrinologist, and psychiatrist. The claims for service connection for skin disability and diabetes mellitus are pending.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, Type II, was granted a 60 percent rating from April 29, 2010 to May 30, 2014 and then reduced to 20 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus was denied, as his current disability does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Board found that he is currently rated at 20 percent and no higher due to lack of regulation of activities.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus, type II, both presumed to be due to herbicide agent exposure during the Veteran's service in Thailand.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for non-service connected pension benefits, service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2 (DM), and service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD).

The Veteran's sleep apnea was granted service connection. The appeals for elevated cholesterol, diabetes, and the left calf disorder were withdrawn by the Veteran prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran seeks service connection for ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus, type II on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure. The AOJ needs to verify the Veteran's claimed exposure at U.S. Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, from July 1959 to February 1960, and at Patuxent Naval Air Station from February 1960 to December 1962.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for atopic eczema with tinea pedis, onychomycosis, scars, and plantar keratosis was withdrawn. The claims of service connection for hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol and triglycerides) and diabetes mellitus were denied as there is no evidence that these conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension was not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. Therefore, the claim for secondary service connection is denied.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for diabetes mellitus was denied, and the denial of service connection for hypertension due to herbicide exposure or as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus is also noted.

The Veteran's PTSD warrants a 70 percent rating, and TDIU is granted effective September 26, 2013. The Veteran's other service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain information about the Veteran's employment history, clarify his PTSD symptoms and severity, update his right foot callouses rating, and provide opinions regarding the etiology of his diabetes, heart disorder, lower extremity disorders, and upper extremity peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is presumed related to his exposure to herbicide agents while serving in Thailand during the Vietnam era.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus with proteinuria is rated at 20 percent, but his diabetic nephropathy has been granted a separate 60 percent rating effective August 19, 2016.