Diabetes decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma due to her claimed in-service exposure to PCBs from a nearby Monsanto Chemical plant. The Veteran was stationed at Fort McClellan, Alabama during basic training and visited a neighboring town where she may have been exposed to airborne PCBs.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and cause of death, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his COPD and service or service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2, finding no evidence of herbicide exposure or a link between current diabetes and service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus have been reopened, and both conditions are now granted. The peripheral neuropathy claims (upper and lower extremities) are remanded.

The Veteran's request to combine the ratings for service-connected bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy with his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II, in a manner other than that described in 38 C.F.R. § 4.25 was denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension has been reopened and granted. However, the issue of whether hypertension is secondary to diabetes mellitus type II remains pending and will be remanded.

The Veteran's diabetes, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction are granted service connection as they are presumed to be related to his exposure to toxic herbicides during his service in the Republic of Vietnam.

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral feet, finding that it was less likely than not caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II was reopened and granted as the condition is presumed due to herbicide exposure, which includes service aboard naval vessels off the coast of Vietnam.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for DMII, IHD, and OSA as secondary to DMII are granted. The case is remanded for a VA examination regarding the etiology of OSA.

The Veteran's hypertension is found to be aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and the claim for service connection for hypertension is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for Type II Diabetes Mellitus and bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, including secondary to diabetes. The claims are being remanded due to new evidence received after a previous denial of the claim.

The Veteran's headaches are found to be secondary to his service-connected hypertension.,The Veteran's costochondritis is determined to be related to his coronary artery disease, post-surgery residuals.

The Veteran's cause of death was service-connected, and he had a total disability rating from a service-connected disability since July 14, 1998. The appellant is the daughter of the Veteran who died in March 2009. She filed for retroactive Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits but did not file within one year of receiving notice of her mother's eligibility to DEA benefits.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities include ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, type II, tinnitus, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left ear hearing loss. His combined rating is 80 percent. The Board finds it necessary to remand the issue of entitlement to a TDIU due to lack of opinion on impact on work.

The Veteran's diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and cataracts were granted a 70% rating prior to August 9, 2010, and an 80% rating as of that date. Special monthly compensation was granted for blindness in one eye. Increased ratings were granted for various lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathies.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to outstanding treatment records and need for examinations. The issues include service connection, increased ratings, and a higher evaluation for major depressive disorder.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Bayfront Health Brooksville on June 26, 2015 is denied because the care was not for a condition that would have been hazardous to life or health if delayed and no VA facility was feasibly available.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes and PTSD are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining an opinion on whether his knee disabilities aggravated his diabetes, and verifying if he was involved in any operations related to Hurricane Gloria or a tornado in North Carolina.

The Veteran's chronic sinusitis and PTSD are found to be related to his service. However, the Veteran's hypercholesterolemia is not a disability for which VA benefits can be awarded.,Service connection has been granted for coronary artery disease, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus due to exposure in Korea.