Diabetes decisions — 2018

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions including shoulder, back, neck, hip, knee, foot, otosclerosis, tinnitus, heart, prostate, thyroid, diabetes, neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and acquired psychiatric disorders. The reasons given are that there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is presumed service-connected due to exposure in the Republic of Vietnam.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for bilateral ankle disability, bilateral hearing loss, and hypertension. The Veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus is granted, while his claim for diabetes mellitus, type II, is also granted. The issue of aggravation of bilateral pes planus is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus is found to have caused diabetic cataracts of the right and left eyes, as well as a heart disability. The Board has granted service connection for these conditions on a secondary basis.

The Board has granted service connection for dermatofibrosarcoma, a heart condition, prostate cancer, and diabetes mellitus due to presumed exposure to herbicides during active service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type 2 is presumed due to exposure to herbicide agents during service. The non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy status post-surgical repair for bilateral detached retinas and glaucoma is secondary to the service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral diabetic retinopathy with pseudophakia, depression, fatigue, and communication difficulties (speech) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected Meniere’s disease with bilateral hearing loss. The rating assigned for Meniere’s disease was 80 percent.

The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction are currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that neither condition requires a higher rating due to lack of evidence showing regulation of activities or physical deformity.

The Board has found that a VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's hypothyroidism, including whether it is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II, and/or coronary artery disease.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy due to herbicide exposure, as there is insufficient information on the Veteran's unit histories in Vietnam. The Veteran needs to provide his unit histories, and a VA examination will be conducted to determine the extent of his diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has remanded the cases of peripheral vascular disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and diabetes mellitus for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, due to exposure to herbicide agents is denied as there is no credible evidence of such exposure. The Veteran's back disability and associated radiculopathy claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is caused or aggravated by his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's appeal of his claim for an increased rating for a low back disability is dismissed.,Service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and right lower extremity radiculopathy are granted.,The issue of service connection for type two diabetes mellitus and the acquired psychiatric condition (previously claimed as bipolar disorder, depression, and cyclothymic disorder) is remanded for additional development.,The issue of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability is also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction was denied. Service connection for swollen legs associated with diabetes mellitus, type II is granted. Service connection for bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy of the radial nerve associated with diabetes mellitus, type II is granted. The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension has been reopened.

The Board has denied reopening the claims for asthma and UTI, as new and material evidence was not received. The claims for prostate disorder (BPH) and diabetes mellitus, type II have been reopened.,New evidence submitted since previous decisions does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claims.

The Veteran's service connection for blindness in both eyes, high blood pressure, and left kidney disability have been reopened. The rating for diabetes mellitus type II has been reduced from 60% to 20%, effective June 23, 2013. The Veteran's abdominal muscle disability and gunshot wound residuals of the left back have been granted increased ratings.

The Veteran's appeal for restoration of a 30 percent rating for service-connected diabetic nephropathy from February 3, 2004 is granted. The appeals for increased ratings for coronary artery disease with hypertension and more than a 10 percent rating for service-connected diabetic retinopathy are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II as the Veteran did not have exposure to herbicides and there is no evidence of a relationship between his condition and service.