Diabetes decisions — 2019

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and heart disease, finding no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents or a relationship between the conditions and service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied claims for bilateral hearing loss, diabetes, and bilateral restless leg syndrome. The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his military service due to exposure to noise in service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and a heart condition, both claimed as due to herbicide exposure, have been granted. The Board found that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service at U-Tapao Royal Thai Air Base.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus type II, foot disorders, erectile dysfunction, psychiatric disorder, prostate condition, and peripheral neuropathy. The Board found no evidence of a current disability in any of these areas or a causal link to service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disorder and diabetes mellitus, type II due to herbicide exposure. However, these claims are still pending as they have been remanded for further development.,The VA is required to verify the Veteran's claimed exposures at Fort McClellan and Fort Benning in locations other than Vietnam, enumerated Royal Thai Air Force Bases, or the Korean demilitarized zone.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining clarification of the Veteran's SSA compensation award and scheduling an updated VA diabetes examination to assess his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been partially granted, with some issues being granted while others were denied. The effective dates for the grants of service connection are not specified.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and bilateral hearing loss due to additional evidence being added to the record.

The Veteran's initial claim for service connection of CAD, diabetes mellitus, and PTSD was received on March 26, 2012. The effective date for the increased evaluation of 60 percent for CAD from March 26, 2011 to June 12, 2013 is denied. An earlier effective date for service connection of CAD prior to March 26, 2011 and diabetes mellitus, type II prior to March 26, 2012 are also denied due to the Veteran's failure to meet eligibility criteria under VA regulations.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and depression), residuals of throat cancer, a heart disability, a respiratory disability, and diabetes mellitus, type II. The issues of service connection for these conditions are remanded.,The Board also granted one issue - the remand on service connection for residuals of throat cancer.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of increased rating for left knee disability, service connection for diabetes as secondary to PTSD, and service connection for erectile dysfunction. The case will be remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of diabetes mellitus type II, diabetic retinopathy, and psoriasis. The Veteran withdrew his appeal for these issues.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, and bilateral knee disability are denied. The Veteran's claims for initial ratings greater than 10 percent for his lumbosacral spine disability, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including lung disability, heart disability, hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea (secondary to a service connected condition), and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD). The remand requires further development related to in-service exposure to chemicals and/or herbicides.

The Veteran's tinnitus and diabetes mellitus claims have been granted. The remaining issues, including service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD and depression), hypertension, sleep apnea syndrome, erectile dysfunction, and left ankle disorder, are remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2, finding that the Veteran did not have exposure to herbicide agents during his service at Fort Drum and thus could not establish presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, hypertension, and kidney stones were denied. The claim for initial disability rating for coronary artery disease prior to September 5, 2018 was granted with a staged rating from that date forward.,The Veteran's claims for initial disability ratings in excess of 60 percent for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, type II prior to September 5, 2018 were denied. The reduction of the initial disability rating for diabetes mellitus, type II from 20 percent to 10 percent effective September 5, 2018 was upheld.,The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to May 28, 2014 for service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, type II were denied.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and its associated diabetic neuropathies, finding no evidence of exposure to herbicide agents during service at Fort McClellan.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II and kidney disease are granted as service-connected.,Service connection for hypertension is remanded due to lack of a VA examination.