Diabetes decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's in-service head injury and PTSD contributed to his death from diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation since June 2, 2017.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than May 26, 2015, for the grant of special monthly compensation (SMC) for loss of use of a creative organ was denied. The Board found that there was no factually ascertainable increase in disability within one year prior to the application for SMC.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the submission of additional evidence after the most recent Statements of the Case. The AOJ will clarify the Veteran’s desires regarding his restored ratings, as well as his satisfaction with the rating assigned for GERD.

The application to reopen a previously denied claim for service connection for a low back condition is granted. The application to reopen a previously denied claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II (diabetes) is denied. Entitlement to service connection for a low back condition is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for skin cancer, type II diabetes mellitus, and renal calculi of the kidneys were denied. The case is remanded due to procedural errors in the rating decisions.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disability and diabetes are presumed service-connected due to herbicide exposure during his military service.

The Board is remanding the claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus and weakness of upper/lower extremities, due to incomplete records from Social Security Administration.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of diabetes due to new and material evidence. The Veteran's current diagnosis of diabetes is supported by his continuous symptoms since separation from service, including weight gain and fatigue.

The Board found that the Veteran was engaged in substantially gainful employment and thus not unemployable, leading to the discontinuance of a TDIU from February 1, 2011. The appeal for service connection for diabetes mellitus is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, prostate cancer, and diabetes mellitus due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The Veteran did not submit new and material evidence in support of these claims.

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 his current diagnosis is not related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for obstructive sleep apnea, type II diabetes mellitus, and neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities due to potential exposure to asbestos, biochemical agents, or other factors. The Veteran's service records indicate possible exposure to asbestos in his barracks, which may have contributed to his current conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for diabetes mellitus, right and left upper extremity neuropathy, and TDIU due to new evidence being added to the record. The Veteran will need a VA examination to determine his current condition and its relation to service.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, prostate cancer, and heart disability due to exposure to herbicide agents as the Veteran did not serve in a unit stationed at the DMZ or otherwise demonstrate actual exposure to an herbicide agent during active service.

The Board denied service connection for a neck disability, right shoulder disability, and right eye disability. The Veteran's claims were based on his contention that these conditions are related to service.,The evidence did not show chronicity of the disabilities in service or within presumptive periods following separation from service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and a compensable evaluation for hypertension due to unclear evidence regarding their onset during service.

The Board has withdrawn the issues of service connection for diabetes mellitus and obesity due to the Veteran's withdrawal. The remaining claims, including service connection for bilateral shoulder disabilities and acquired psychiatric disability, are being remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for throat cancer and diabetes mellitus due to herbicide exposure as there was no evidence of actual exposure in Guam, and the conditions did not manifest within one year of separation from service.

The Board has granted service connection for major depressive disorder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected TBI and headache disabilities, but denied service connection for type II diabetes mellitus due to lack of evidence showing it was incurred in or aggravated by service.