Diabetes decisions — 2019

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic balance instability, increased rating for hearing loss, and TDIU due to lack of evidence linking his current condition to service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for type II diabetes mellitus is granted due to presumed exposure to Agent Orange during his service in Vietnam.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea has been reopened, and his claims for initial ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities have been granted. However, he is still denied an effective date prior to certain dates.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, has not required the medical regulation of activity as per VA rating criteria. Therefore, a disability rating in excess of 20 percent is denied.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is granted as due to herbicide exposure during service. His peripheral neuropathy, bilateral upper extremities, is also granted as secondary to his service-connected diabetes.

The Veteran's claims for left ear hearing loss and skin disorder were reopened due to new and material evidence. The rating reductions for lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, ocular hypertension, and low back disorder were denied.

The Veteran's allergies are considered to be related to his service-connected alopecia areata.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is not service connected.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus, finding that there was no evidence to support a direct or secondary service connection. The Board also found that the Veteran did not have diabetes within one year of separation from service.

The Board denied service connection for prostate cancer and type II diabetes because the evidence did not support a finding of exposure to herbicide agents, including Agent Orange, during active service. The diseases were also not shown to have had their onset in service or during the initial post separation year.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder, left shoulder, neck, ankle, foot, and sleep apnea disorders. Service connection was also denied for diabetes mellitus and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's current diagnoses were not established during or within the applicable presumptive period.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including prostate cancer, type II diabetes mellitus, and neuropathy of the lower extremities, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU rating based on these conditions.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is granted as secondary to herbicide exposure. The heart disability and peripheral neuropathy claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is granted as service connected due to in-service herbicide exposure. The claims for hypertension and erectile dysfunction are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not result in the need for regular aid and attendance or permanent housebound status, thus denying his claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on these factors.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, finding that it is not related to his service-connected hypertension and concluding that there was no evidence of a direct relationship between the two conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance or homebound status, nor does he qualify for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

Service connection for diabetes mellitus type II is granted on a presumptive basis. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy involving the right ulnar nerve is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance has been granted. The issue of an effective date prior to January 13, 2015, for the assignment of a combined rating of 100 percent is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus granting TDIU.

The Board is remanding the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's alleged exposure to Agent Orange during his service on USS O'Bannon. The VA needs to verify if the ship docked, transited inland waterways or performed special operations in the Gulf of Tonkin.