Diabetes decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new and material evidence being requested. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is presumed, but additional records are needed from his pre-employment physical at Hillcroft Medical Clinic.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, diabetes mellitus, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity has been granted with a 20 percent evaluation.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been denied.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity has been granted with a 20 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the impact of his service-connected conditions on his ability to work.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for type 2 diabetes was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The Board found that the Veteran may have been exposed to herbicides in Okinawa, but did not find sufficient evidence linking his current condition to this exposure.,Service connection for rheumatoid arthritis and enlarged prostate due to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune was denied as there is no established link between these conditions and the alleged exposure.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that neither his service-connected PTSD and diabetes mellitus nor any exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam caused or contributed substantially to his death.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, vision disorder (as secondary to diabetes mellitus), hypothyroidism, and gum/dental condition.,No new evidence was submitted that would support reopening any of these claims.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is granted as service-connected. The claims for unstable angina, hypertension, umbilical hernia, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and chronic renal insufficiency are denied.

The Board has granted service connection for asthma and COPD as aggravated by service-connected disabilities, and gastrointestinal disorders including GERD, hiatal hernia, and H. pylori gastritis are also granted as aggravated by service-connected conditions. Service connection for diabetes is reopened but not yet decided.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral extremities, and bilateral hearing loss are all granted. Service connection is also established for tinnitus with an effective date of July 24, 2012.

The Veteran's claims for hepatitis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are remanded due to the need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's hyperhidrosis is rated as noncompensable from September 8, 2006. An increased rating of 30 percent from January 13, 2014 and continuing thereafter for the Veteran’s service-connected hyperhidrosis is granted.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of service connection for hypertension and determined that it is at least as likely as not related to his service-connected diabetes, coronary artery disease, and diabetic nephropathy. The decision also grants service connection for hypertension.

The Veteran's diabetes was a result of prescribed prednisone for uveitis following glaucoma surgery, which was reasonably foreseeable. The Board finds that there was 'similar instance of fault' on behalf of VA due to improper monitoring and delayed testing of glucose levels.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for a left tibia/fibula condition. The claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and residuals of right fibula fracture are also remanded.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's hypertension is not secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus and therefore remands the case for further development.

The Veteran's claims for foot fungus and diabetes mellitus were dismissed. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder was granted, but the issue of reopening the finally disallowed respiratory disorder claim is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance was denied as entitlement to this benefit did not arise prior to March 11, 2015.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU was denied as there is no evidence of unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to July 29, 2008.

The Board has denied a request for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus and has remanded the issue of service connection for sleep apnea syndromes secondary to diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and hypertension (claimed as secondary to diabetes mellitus) were denied. His claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was also denied. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen his previously denied claim for diabetes mellitus, type II. Service connection for peripheral vascular disease was not established. The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded.