Diabetes decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and a bilateral eye condition on secondary basis to his diabetes due to insufficient evidence regarding herbicide exposure in Thailand.

The Veteran's diabetes and related complications are being remanded for further evaluation as the current evidence is insufficient to make a fully informed decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, finding that it is less likely than not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected psychiatric disability. The evidence did not show a clear relationship between his weight gain and his service-connected depression.

The Board has remanded the cases for further clarification and evaluation, including a medical opinion on the etiology of hypertension and an examination to assess the Veteran's ability to function independently due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, and exposure to environmental toxins other than herbicide agents.

The claim for service connection for the cause of death due to pancreatic cancer is granted, as it was determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus contributed substantially to his development and eventual death from pancreatic cancer.

The appeals of the Veteran's claims have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran is granted TDIU from August 20, 2015 to February 7, 2017 due to his service-connected disabilities. The appeal for prior dates was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus is found to have caused or aggravated his hypertensive retinopathy, thus granting service connection for this condition.,There is no evidence linking the Veteran’s glaucoma suspect and dry eye syndrome to active service or any incident of service. Service connection is denied for these conditions.,The relationship between the Veteran's disability manifested by pseudophakia/bilateral cataracts and his diabetes mellitus remains unclear, necessitating further examination on remand.,Service connection for small vessel disease cannot be established due to insufficient evidence linking this condition to active service or any incident of service.

The Board has granted service connection for Type II Diabetes Mellitus and Onychomycosis, Hypertension as secondary to Type II Diabetes Mellitus, and Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Features. The effective dates are set based on the date of receipt of claims or the date entitlement arose. Headache disorder is also granted as secondary to Adjustment Disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, bowel and bladder incontinence, hepatitis C with cirrhosis of the liver, metastatic melanoma, and cerebrovascular accident as they were not related to his military service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the lack of clear evidence regarding his exposure to herbicides and possible toxic chemicals on Okinawa. The full text of relevant reports must be obtained.

The Veteran's appeal includes claims for service connection for various conditions related to PTSD and herbicide exposure. The Board has remanded these issues due to the need for additional development.,The Veteran is seeking TDIU, but this claim is dismissed as moot since he already receives a 100% disability rating for his PTSD.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, ischemic heart disease, and type II diabetes mellitus are all granted as service-connected.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, amputations of toes, glaucoma, and cardiovascular issues, were denied as there was no evidence to support the assertions that these conditions were related to his military service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II was not incurred or aggravated during service, and the Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure in Germany. As a result, service connection for diabetes mellitus type II is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including DM, esophageal condition, hypertension, LLE radiculopathy, RLE radiculopathy, lumbar DJD with IVDS, and sleep apnea, were all granted effective May 24, 2013. The Board found that there was no earlier claim received prior to the Veteran's most recent period of active service (March 2012 to May 2013).

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is granted as due to herbicide exposure during service in Thailand.

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus type II (DMII), left and right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and B-cell lymphoma due to herbicide agent exposure have all been granted.,Service connection has been established for DMII on a presumptive basis due to herbicide agent exposure. The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities is also service connected as secondary to his DMII.

The Veteran's diabetes is rated at 20 percent, with no higher rating granted.,Bilateral diabetic retinopathy secondary to service-connected diabetes is granted as a separate condition.,Peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity and right lower extremity are each rated at 10 percent.,Peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity and right upper extremity are each rated at 10 percent.,PTSD is rated at 70 percent, with no higher rating granted.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.