Diabetes decisions — 2018

The Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection of a back disorder was granted. Service connection is denied. The Veteran's claims for service connection of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, kidney disorder, metatarsalgia (left foot), right leg disorder, and left leg disorder are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for diabetes mellitus has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and conflicting medical evidence regarding the type of diabetes. The Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during service is confirmed, but there is uncertainty about whether his current diabetes mellitus is Type I or Type II.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, an unspecified heart disorder, and diabetes are remanded due to the need for additional evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to pending development of records and exposure history.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are remanded due to insufficient information regarding his herbicide exposure. The case will be reviewed after additional development.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities have all been denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, and residuals of cardiac surgery with cardiac stents are all granted due to presumed exposure to herbicides during his military service.

The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2, finding it was due to exposure to herbicide agents during service in Thailand.

The Board has remanded the claims for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus type II, and eye disability (claimed as blindness) due to potential service connection based on herbicide agent exposure. The VA will obtain additional records and provide a medical opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, finding that the evidence did not support a finding of exposure to herbicides or direct service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including cervical spine condition, thoracic spine condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, degenerative joint disease of the ankles, muscular disorder, diabetes mellitus, and multiple sclerosis, have all been denied. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, type II, peripheral neuropathy of the left foot, and ischemic heart disease were denied as there was no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents or other environmental contaminants that could cause these conditions. The Board found insufficient medical evidence to establish a nexus between the current disabilities and service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and diabetes mellitus type II, finding no evidence of in-service noise exposure or herbicide agent exposure that could support a claim. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, finding that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and that the condition did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year after service. The Board also found insufficient evidence linking the diabetes to an in-service injury or event.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings for diabetes mellitus and PTSD with depressive disorder not otherwise specified have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeal.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various disabilities, including low back disability, left knee disability, partial complex seizures, chronic joint pain, epiploic appendagitis, erectile dysfunction, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hypervascular lesions of the liver, infertility, and prediabetes. The Veteran's claims are pending in appellate status.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU for the period between July 31, 2012 and March 31, 2015 due to his service-connected PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II, is not rated higher than 20 percent.,The Board has remanded the claims for COPD, bronchiolitis interstitial lung disease, and atrial fibrillation due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has decided that further development is needed due to the inadequacy of the VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between sleep apnea and service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II and coronary artery disease. The Veteran's claim will be remanded for a new examination.