Diabetes decisions — 2019

The Board is remanding several claims for further development, including those related to left knee osteoarthritis and other service-connected disabilities.,Additional medical records are needed to clarify the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions and determine if they are related to her military service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes, asthma, pityrosporum folliculitis, and actinic keratosis as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) effective August 15, 2012.

The Board has remanded the claims for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus with bilateral cataracts and upper extremity diabetic neuropathy due to new evidence or worsening of symptoms.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and peripheral neuropathy as secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II. The decision found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, type II, and that his peripheral neuropathy was not proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to his service-connected disabilities of residuals of bladder cancer and/or diabetes mellitus, type II is remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding whether OSA is aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding herbicide exposure at U-Tapao Royal Thai Air Force Base. The Veteran is asked to provide more details about his alleged exposure and the JSRRC will be contacted for verification.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, incontinence, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of herbicide exposure evidence. The Veteran will need further examinations and medical opinions regarding his conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and diabetes mellitus secondary to service-connected obstructive sleep apnea due to a need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, is granted due to exposure to herbicides during his active military service in Thailand.

The Veteran's eye disability, characterized as glaucoma, cataract, and diabetic retinopathy, has been rated at 10 percent since April 2011. The Board found that the current rating of 10 percent is appropriate given the visual field defect with remaining field of 46 to 60 degrees bilaterally.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and diabetes mellitus type II are remanded due to the need for additional development of evidence regarding his in-service stressors and potential exposure to harmful substances.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for testicular carcinoma and diabetes mellitus type II were dismissed. The Board also remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus, type II and PTSD have been withdrawn by his representative. As a result, the issues are dismissed.

The Veteran's hypertension has been rated at 0 percent, but the Board found that it does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating due to blood pressure readings never being predominantly 100 or more diastolic or 160 or more systolic.,For his diabetes mellitus, the Veteran is currently rated at 20 percent. The Board has remanded this issue as there are questions regarding whether regulation of activities requires a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including sleep apnea, hypertension, colon polyps status post-removal, acid reflux, prostate disability, lymph node disability, and diabetes mellitus. The claims are being remanded due to a need for additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between these disabilities and service exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus has been granted a 40% disability rating effective January 28, 2016. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder remains unresolved and is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus secondary to hearing loss. The claims for diabetes and peripheral neuropathy due to Agent Orange exposure in Korea are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, excluding PTSD, do not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus was denied. Service connection for ischemic heart disease and depressive disorder were granted with effective dates of June 1, 2006, and January 4, 2018 respectively. The Veteran received a 60% rating for ischemic heart disease before February 22, 2013, and a higher rating was denied after that date. A 70% rating was granted for depressive disorder starting from January 4, 2018.