Diabetes decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the issue of TDIU due to the inextricably intertwined issues of service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep condition and memory loss. The Veteran's current combined evaluation is at 60 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, and an unspecified respiratory condition due to presumed exposure to herbicides during service. The Veteran's current conditions are considered at least as likely as not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has denied service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for left and right knee conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for DMII, a heart disability, an eye disability, and a right knee disability due to incomplete opinions regarding preexisting conditions and their relationship to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding herbicide exposure in Thailand, which could impact the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus and related peripheral neuropathy and retinopathy. The case will be returned to the RO for further development.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, a cardiac disorder (including ischemic heart disease and atrial fibrillation), a respiratory condition (dyspnea), and bilateral-eye disorders (diabetic retinopathy, partial blindness, glaucoma, cataracts) due to diabetes. The Board also denied service connection for peripheral vascular disease of the right-lower extremity.,The Board found that there was no evidence linking hypertension or a cardiac disorder to service or service-connected conditions and thus denied these claims.

The Veteran's diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity was granted initial ratings of 30%, 40%, and 40% respectively. The Veteran's diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left femoral nerve and right femoral nerve were each granted an initial rating of 20%. No other conditions or issues related to service connection were addressed.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied as his service-connected conditions did not render him unemployable prior to December 15, 2016.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and his claim for TDIU was granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for diabetes mellitus, type II and coronary artery disease. The claims for bladder cancer, thyroid condition, and soft tissue sarcoma are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding exposure to herbicides during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for SMC at the housebound rate as he does not have a single service-connected disability rated 100 percent disabling. The TDIU was based on multiple disabilities, and thus did not meet the requirement for a single service-connected disability rated 100 percent.

The claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension have been denied.,New evidence has reopened the previously denied claims of service connection for stress, a respiratory disability, headaches, tinea pedis, PFB, foreign body, right eye (claimed as an eye condition), testicle pain, and stroke.

The Board has dismissed all the issues related to the veteran's claims for erectile dysfunction, diabetes mellitus, type II, and diabetic neuropathy as the appellant died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction and PTSD have been remanded for further evaluation.,His diabetes has worsened, requiring insulin treatment and a restricted diet.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for intermittent paresthesias of the fingertips has been reopened. The Board finds new and material evidence to support this claim.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and erectile dysfunction have not been established as these conditions are not shown during the period on appeal.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including service connection for various conditions and secondary service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetic nephropathy and hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to October 11, 2018.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus was denied, and his claim for service connection of diabetic peripheral neuropathy as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus type II was granted. The case is remanded for further development regarding the rating of diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating due to insufficient evidence, particularly regarding the onset of his conditions during active service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for posttraumatic stress disorder was denied, and the Board found that he is not unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities from March 30, 2010.