Diabetes decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes, finding that the Veteran's exposure to herbicides in Thailand during his military service is presumed. The claims are remanded for further action on diabetic neuropathy of the upper extremities.

The Veteran is seeking Section 1151 compensation for various conditions resulting from a pancreatectomy and related surgeries performed by VA. The Board has determined that additional disability was caused, but the specific cause of this disability (caused by carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment or similar instance of fault on the part of VA) needs to be clarified.,The Veteran is also seeking Section 1151 compensation for PTSD, anxiety, and depression as a result of the pancreatectomy. The Board has determined that additional disability was caused, but the specific cause (caused by carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment or similar instance of fault on the part of VA) needs to be clarified.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right lower extremity is currently rated at 10 percent, and his appeal for a higher rating has been remanded.,For TDIU, the Veteran meets the statutory criteria with combined ratings of 90 percent due to PTSD (80%) and lumbar degenerative disc disease (40%).

The Board has determined that the VA examination opinion is insufficient to adjudicate the Veteran's claim and an addendum opinion is needed to address whether his erectile dysfunction was caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus is remanded due to insufficient information about his in-service exposure to herbicide agents and the need to obtain medical records from Dr. D.S.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus and hyperthyroidism were not shown to be related to service, including presumed exposure to herbicides or toxins.,The Veteran’s eye disability was not found to be secondary to his hyperthyroidism.

The Board denied service connection for allergic rhinitis and denied an increased rating for type II diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's allergic rhinitis was not related to his military service, and the criteria for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus were not met.

The Board has remanded the claims due to new evidence being introduced into the record since the last statement of the case, and the Veteran was not provided with a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) in light of this new evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left and right hip disabilities, bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, and neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, have been denied. The Board found no current diagnoses or evidence linking these conditions to service.,There is no indication that any of the claimed conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, back disability, neck disability, right foot disability, Meniere's disease, and gastrointestinal disability (GERD). The Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of any of these conditions at the time of the decision. The Board found that there was no evidence of continuity of symptomatology or in-service incurrence for diabetes mellitus, back disability, neck disability, right foot disability, Meniere's disease, and gastrointestinal disability (GERD).

The Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus was granted, with the presumption of exposure to herbicide agents used in Vietnam. The Board found that the Veteran served near the perimeter of Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base during his active duty and thus is presumed to have been exposed to herbicides.

The Veteran's effective date for service connection of CAD was granted as January 9, 2009. The claim for an earlier effective date is denied.,The Veteran's initial rating for CAD associated with DM2 remains at 60 percent and no higher rating is granted.,The Veteran's rating for diabetic dermatopathy remains at 10 percent and no higher rating is granted.,The Veteran's rating for DM2 remains at 20 percent and no higher rating is granted.,The Veteran's ratings for PN in the LLE and RLE remain at 10 percent and no higher ratings are granted from August 15, 2016 onwards. Prior to that date, they were rated at 10 percent.,The Veteran was granted TDIU effective July 1, 2014.,No specific effective date is assigned for the grant of TDIU.

The claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened, but the Veteran's current conditions do not meet the criteria for service connection.,The claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II has been reopened. However, there is no evidence linking the condition to service or any other basis.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for depression, heart disease, diabetes mellitus type II, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia due to new and material evidence. However, these claims have not been substantiated as there is no established link between the current conditions and military service.

The Board has found that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II; a vision condition (degraded vision); GERD; and a dental condition (lost tooth).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, PTSD, type II diabetes, and peripheral neuropathy, do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for hypertension, heart disability, diabetes mellitus type II, and peripheral neuropathy of various extremities due to additional development being necessary. The Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange is not at issue as his ship USS Diamond Head was within territorial waters.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantial gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to incomplete or missing information.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hepatitis C, Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma as secondary to hepatitis C, and diabetes mellitus, type II as secondary to hepatitis C due to insufficient clarification of the etiology of the Veteran's hepatitis C. The case will be returned for an addendum opinion from an appropriate clinician.