Diabetes decisions — 2018

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient development of evidence regarding service connection for an eye disability, including glaucoma. The Veteran's allegations of herbicide exposure in Thailand are also under review.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing medical records, including those from Fort Worth and Dallas VA facilities. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is considered for service connection.

The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support assigning earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, diabetic nephropathy, or DEA benefits. The appeals were denied as there was no legal basis for awarding an even earlier effective date.

The Veteran's appeal to reopen service connection for a left shoulder disability is granted, and service connection for the same condition is also granted. The claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2 remains pending due to new evidence received within one year of the original denial.

The Veteran's appeal as to diabetes mellitus, major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, erectile dysfunction, and tinnitus has been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection of a left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, cervical spine disorder, left knee condition, right knee condition, gastrointestinal disorder, skin disorder, residuals of a head injury, and migraine headaches have been granted.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for peripheral neuropathy and coronary artery disease, as well as the earlier effective date claim. The Veteran is also seeking a determination on whether there was clear and unmistakable error in denying his claim for ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine has been dismissed.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran’s claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, but the claim is only granted on this basis.,Service connection for left hip disorder and right hip disorder have both been denied as secondary to service-connected degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine.,Service connection for PTSD has been granted.,The Veteran's original claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine was denied in 2006, with no appeal received within one year. The current effective date is December 8, 2011.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, but has remanded them due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied requests for earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity. The earliest date of receipt of a claim was May 18, 2007.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for service connection due to coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus. The conditions are rated based on their severity, with coronary artery disease currently at a 60% rating and diabetes mellitus at a 10% rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to January 24, 2012. Since then, he has been in receipt of a combined 100 percent schedular rating for his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's cause of death, metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung, is not service-connected as it was not caused or etiologically related to his period of active service at Camp Lejeune. The Board found that there is no evidence linking the Veteran’s lung cancer to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is granted as service connected due to herbicide exposure during his service in Thailand. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD, MDD, and GAD) is remanded.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder is granted service connection. The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus claim for exposure to herbicide agents in service is denied.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder was granted a 50% rating effective April 9, 2015. The Veteran's diabetic polyneuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities received initial ratings of 10%, 20%, and 20% prior to April 22, 2013, and thereafter. TDIU was granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain or maintain a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board finds that TDIU benefits are warranted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, PTSD, type II diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction, tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, malaria, and bilateral hearing loss, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his exposure to herbicide agents in Thailand.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings due to the need for additional development, including obtaining relevant medical records and providing a VA examination.

The Veteran's service connection for prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus was properly severed, effective December 1, 2015. As a result, the Board denied requests for higher initial disability ratings as they are barred by law.