Diabetes decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (including MDD, PTSD, and anxiety disorder), sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, colon polyps, bilateral hand disorder (thumb arthritis), CTS of the upper extremities, and right ear hearing loss are related to his military service. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Board has remanded the case to the AOJ for additional development, including verification of the Veteran's reported duty in Vietnam and a request for records related to his application for correction of military records. The appellant will be provided an opportunity to respond.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to scheduling issues for a hearing. Service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to service-connected PTSD, diabetes mellitus II, and heart disease, as well as due to Agent Orange exposure, remains under consideration.

The Veteran's prostate cancer, costochondritis, and diabetes are not considered to be caused by VA medical treatment. The Board found that the proximate cause of these disabilities was not due to carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment or similar instance of fault on the part of VA.

The Veteran's appeal for a TDIU was remanded by the Board due to insufficient medical information regarding his employability. The AOJ is instructed to obtain all outstanding records, provide another opportunity for the Veteran to submit evidence, and arrange for a VA examination to assess the functional impact of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to work.

The Board has remanded the case due to an issue with a private medical report and needs clarification on the requirement of regulation of activities for diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is related to his active service. The claim will be returned to the Board after the examination.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2, which he claims was caused by exposure to herbicide agents during his military service. The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and further investigation into the Veteran's exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and other conditions do not meet the criteria for a TDIU due to his overall disability picture, which includes multiple service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to determine if he was exposed to herbicide agents and asbestos during service, which could affect his claims for heart disability, diabetes mellitus, and respiratory disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to care for his daily needs without requiring the regular aid and attendance of another person, warranting SMC based on aid and attendance prior to May 10, 2017.

The Board has found that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not related to his military service, including exposure to jet fuel and other chemicals. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions began in or were aggravated by active duty.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have exposure to herbicides during his service in Korea or Vietnam, and thus could not establish presumptive service connection based on herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's diabetes and hypertension.

The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, neuropathy, and bladder cancer are not related to service or herbicide exposure. The claims for these conditions were denied.

The Board has received notification from the Veteran that he wishes to withdraw his appeal regarding the issue of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for high cholesterol. Additionally, the Veteran's representative indicated in an Informal Hearing Presentation that the appeal is resolved based on the post-remand grants of service connection and the withdrawal of the high cholesterol issue.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA examination.

The Veteran is entitled to an effective date of July 31, 2008 for the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities.