Diabetes decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus are being remanded due to missing military personnel records from his active duty period. The AOJ is instructed to attempt to obtain these records, notify the Veteran if they cannot be obtained, and then readjudicate the cases.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II. The evidence submitted since the final denial indicated that the Veteran demonstrated impaired fasting glucose during his military service which progressed to diabetes.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of in-service injury or disease, and the disabilities did not manifest within one year after separation from service. The claim for diabetes mellitus was also denied due to lack of a diagnosis before separation.

The Veteran died of hypoxic respiratory failure due to being an immunocompromised patient as a result of multiple debilitations and medical problems. The Board found that the service-connected disabilities did not play a contributory or causative role in his death, nor were they the principal cause of death.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, and glaucoma. These claims are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service connection claim for diabetes mellitus, type II is granted based on presumed exposure to herbicides during his active service at the U-Tapao Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes, and peripheral neuropathy, make it impossible for him to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability, diabetes mellitus, and chronic kidney disease. The Veteran's PTSD claim will be decided in a separate Board decision.,Service connection was not granted for the Veteran's erectile dysfunction as it is not related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for diabetes mellitus, Type II is remanded due to the need for updated VA examination and treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the cause of death and potential service connection for diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and renal insufficiency.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and coronary artery disease (formerly claimed as heart problem) have been granted due to exposure to an herbicide agent. However, the claim for erectile dysfunction secondary to diabetes mellitus is denied.,Service connection has also been denied for basal-cell skin cancer and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to confirm the Veteran's periods of active duty and ACDUTRA service with the Army Reserve or National Guard, obtain any outstanding service treatment records, and provide a VA examination for tinnitus. The issues on appeal will be remanded for these actions.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II and ischemic heart disease are presumed to have been caused by herbicide exposure during service.,Left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy and erectile dysfunction are found to be secondary to the service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center on August 12, 2013 were denied because the services were not rendered in a 'medical emergency' and no VA facility was feasibly available.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding his exposure to herbicide, chemical, and/or biological agents during service. The claims will be reviewed again with this information.

The Veteran's high cholesterol was not found to be a disability for VA compensation purposes.,Diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, high blood pressure, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral hands and feet were not service-connected as they did not manifest during active service or within one year of separation, nor are they causally related to his active service.

The Veteran's prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus are granted service connection due to exposure to herbicide agents. The peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities is also granted as secondary to his diabetes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus is aggravated by his service-connected low back disability and depressive disorder, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus, type II are granted as secondary to service-connected sleep apnea.,The Veteran's sinus tumors, chronic cysts on the back, and Bell’s Palsy are remanded due to lack of a VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected depressive disorder is granted. His coronary artery disease, with hypertension and diabetic nephropathy, is rated at 30 percent effective August 31, 2010. A separate compensable rating for his hypertension is denied. The award of service connection for diabetic nephropathy with hypertension is granted, but a separate initial rating prior to December 11, 2012, and in excess of 20 percent thereafter for diabetic neuropathy of the right lower extremity is denied. A compensable initial rating for diabetic neuropathy of the left lower extremity is also denied.