Diabetes decisions — 2019

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service connected due to exposure to herbicides. Other claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, cataracts, diabetes, hypertension, and malaria, are of such severity that they prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has found that the Veteran's diabetes may have manifested during service or within one year after separation, and therefore remanded for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, ischemic heart disease (IHD), and a skin disorder due to exposure to herbicide agents. The appeal is being remanded to attempt verification of the Veteran’s claimed exposure in Korea.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his lumbar spine and lower extremity radiculopathy are denied. A rating of 20 percent is granted for the right lower extremity radiculopathy, but no higher.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on the merits has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board denied service connection for all claimed conditions, including diabetes mellitus Type II, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, hypertension, coronary artery disease status post stent placement, pancreatic cancer, and background diabetic retinopathy, as they were not incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus type II due to presumed exposure to herbicides, including handling clothing of wounded soldiers from Vietnam.

The Veteran's appeal for TDIU based on service-connected disabilities is dismissed. The Board has remanded the issues of increased rating for diabetes mellitus, Type II and service connection for hypertension.

The Veteran's service connection claims for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus type II, multiple myeloma, and peripheral neuropathy of bilateral lower extremities are all granted due to herbicide exposure during his service in Thailand.,His claim to reopen the previously denied claim of service connection for residuals of hepatitis is also granted.

The Board has remanded several issues for further examination and opinion, including service connection claims for various conditions. The Veteran's tinnitus claim was denied due to lack of a current diagnosis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment since June 1, 2007. The Board has granted an effective date of June 1, 2007 for the TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's service connection claim for diabetes mellitus is denied as there is no evidence of a nexus to service. The TDIU claim for PTSD is also denied due to the presence of other employment and non-service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, and neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus. Service connection was denied for a pulmonary disorder (claimed as asbestosis).

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if he served in Vietnam and was exposed to herbicides. The claims are being remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for further development regarding his diabetes and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities. Specifically, a VA examination will be scheduled to determine if the Veteran should curtail both occupational and recreational activities due to his diabetes, and another examiner will distinguish between symptoms associated with peripheral neuropathy and peripheral circulatory disorder.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for service-connected depressive disorder is granted, and his claims for service connection for tinnitus, headaches, diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, bilateral lower extremity neuropathy, and obstructive sleep apnea are all denied. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a heart condition, prostate cancer, and type II diabetes mellitus due to herbicide exposure. A medical opinion is needed to address the likelihood of these conditions occurring without herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain additional medical records, as well as to verify the Veteran's reported exposure to herbicides. The claims for service connection are not based on a presumption of service connection.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, type II. A separate noncompensable rating and SMC for erectile dysfunction associated with diabetes mellitus type II is granted effective October 6, 2014.