Diabetes decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during service, specifically in Vietnam. The case will be further developed to determine if the Veteran was exposed to Agent Orange and thus eligible for presumptive service connection for diabetes mellitus.

The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer and diabetes. Service connection is also remanded for kidney disorder and peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the lack of recent VA treatment records and an updated application for part-time work.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is rated at 20 percent, and he is granted special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance of another. The issues regarding service connection for Parkinson’s disease and sleep apnea secondary to PTSD have not yet been adjudicated.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to February 6, 2009 and also denied an extraschedular TDIU. The evidence did not establish that the Veteran was unable to find and maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as the evidence does not show that his service-connected disabilities alone prevent him from securing and maintaining gainful employment.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his service connection claims for a heart disability and diabetes mellitus was granted. The Board found new and material evidence related to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam, which is presumed for Gulf War veterans.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the appeal for sleep apnea is dismissed.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus and remanded the issues of rating for left ear hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo, and TDIU. Additional development is needed to determine if type 2 diabetes was present during the appeal period, assess the current severity of inner ear disability, and consider whether it would be more beneficial to rate the Veteran's service-connected disabilities under Diagnostic Code 6204.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment. The hypertension claim is remanded for a medical opinion.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records from Flowers Hospital in Dothan, Alabama.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he is able to perform activities such as golfing and water aerobics without symptoms.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to exposure to herbicide agents during his service in the Republic of Vietnam, and diabetes and cardiac disease are presumed associated with this exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have rendered him unable to perform daily activities of living without the assistance of another, and he is granted SMC for aid and attendance from another person.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for prediabetes and diabetes, finding that there is no current diagnosed disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for kidney failure, diabetes mellitus, type II, residuals of prostate cancer, and hypertension are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The effective date issue related to nonservice-connected pension is also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for stress disorder was reopened and granted. Service connection for depressive disorder is also granted, with the disability considered secondary to his service-connected conditions. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are both rated at their maximum allowable levels. His knee disabilities and other conditions remain under review.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's diabetes.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type 2 has worsened, resulting in the need for insulin and regulation of activities to prevent hypoglycemic episodes. The claim is being remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease, PTSD, diabetes mellitus II, and bilateral lower extremity neuropathy, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability rating due to unemployability (TDIU).