Diabetes decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, type II, both presumed to be due to herbicide exposure during service in Vietnam.

The Veteran is unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, including prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, and retinopathy.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete medical records and procedural issues. The Veteran's spouse must provide authorization for additional private medical records, which were previously rejected.

The Board has remanded several claims, including service connection for neurological disabilities, systemic joint and muscle disabilities, diabetes mellitus, and a dental disability. The claims are being remanded due to incomplete VA examination opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease (IHD), right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy. The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and concluded that these conditions are not related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his right Achilles tendon injury, diabetes mellitus, fatigue, bilateral hearing loss, heart disorder (tachycardia), post-traumatic migraine headaches, sleep apnea, and vasovagal near-syncope, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for new VA examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, diabetes mellitus with diabetic retinopathy, left hip condition, left wrist condition, and ingrown toenails.

The Board has determined that the claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is granted as due to herbicide exposure.,The Veteran's amputation of right great toe is granted as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction is remanded as it may be related to the service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.,Service connection for throat cancer is remanded as it may be due to herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for sleep apnea, as it relates to both diabetes mellitus type 2 and PTSD. The examiner is required to provide an opinion on whether there is a direct link between the Veteran's in-service snoring problems and current sleep apnea, as well as whether the sleep apnea is proximately due to or aggravated by service-connected diabetes mellitus type 2 or PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II has been withdrawn.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD is denied.,Service connection for a thyroid disorder (including hyperthyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis) as secondary to PTSD is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates have been remanded due to the need for additional examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and diabetes mellitus, prevented him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment beginning November 5, 2018. A total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease to include as secondary to herbicide exposure, finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agent during his active duty service in Thailand.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric condition, including depression, is service-connected due to its aggravation by his pre-existing conditions.,Service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, type II, are granted as they were aggravated by the Veteran's pre-existing psychiatric conditions.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus and heart disability are remanded for additional development, including obtaining his service treatment records and Reserve medical records. A VA examiner will be asked to determine if these conditions are related to in-service high cholesterol or any exposure to herbicide agents, chemical toxins, or ionizing radiation.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for gout and diabetes mellitus are reopened, but the cases are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II and associated peripheral neuropathy are remanded for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the relationship to service. The IHD rating is also remanded due to outstanding VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus due to a failure to refer it for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II, with diabetic retinopathy, is granted a 40 percent rating for the entire rating period. Separate compensable ratings are remanded for diabetic neuropathy, retinopathy, and nephropathy.