Diabetes decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and lung cancer due to herbicide agent exposure during service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development due to the need for additional medical records and authorization.

The Veteran's appeal was remanded for issues related to service connection for various conditions, including skin cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral hearing loss, scarring of the lungs, and COPD. The appellant withdrew his claim for skin cancer due to Agent Orange exposure.,An effective date of February 12, 2015, was granted for the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining records related to his SSI benefits.

The Veteran's claims for sleep apnea, hypertension, type II diabetes mellitus (DM II), and erectile dysfunction are granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD with dysthymic disorder. The remaining claims of service connection for skin cancer and adrenal gland lesion are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether hypertension is secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The Veteran's claims for service connection are now pending again.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetic retinopathy and compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for additional left upper extremity disability resulting from VA carpal tunnel release surgery due to outstanding records.

The Board has denied service connection for rectal cancer, type II diabetes mellitus, kidney cancer, hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome, and an acquired psychiatric disability. The issues of service connection for these conditions are remanded due to the need for additional evidence.,For type II diabetes mellitus, kidney cancer, and hypertension, the Board has ordered that the Veteran provide any relevant private treatment records from Fort Gordon where he was hospitalized during his period of service. For irritable bowel syndrome, the Board has ordered that the Veteran provide information about his alleged hospitalization at Fort Gordon.,For an acquired psychiatric disability, the Board has ordered that the Veteran provide information about his alleged hospitalization at Fort Gordon.

The Veteran's claims for initial ratings in excess of 20 percent for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities have been denied as there is no evidence of moderate, severe, or complete paralysis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and heart condition secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II is remanded due to the need for additional development. The issue of an evaluation in excess of 20 percent disabling for lumbosacral strain is also remanded.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II was granted a 20% rating effective March 23, 2017. The Veteran's PTSD is denied for an initial rating in excess of 70%. The appeal is mixed as some issues were granted and others were denied.

The Board has granted the petition to reopen the claim for service connection for sleep apnea and remanded the issues of service connection for right knee injury with resultant surgery and TMJ disorder. The diabetes mellitus rating is increased to 40 percent as of July 11, 2018, but a higher rating is denied. Service connection for DDD thoracolumbar spine remains denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to determine the appropriate disability ratings and TDIU status.

The Veteran's type 2 diabetes mellitus was not incurred in service and is not related to service, including exposure to herbicide agents. The Board denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to a typographical error in the RO's September 2019 letter and an opportunity is provided for the appellant to submit any relevant treatment records.

The previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for retinopathy of the eyes, as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus type II, is reopened on the basis of new and material evidence. To this extent only, the appeal is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and prostate cancer as a result of herbicide exposure have been granted. Diabetes mellitus is presumed to be related to his herbicide exposure while in Vietnam, and so is prostate cancer.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete development and new evidence added since the last statement of the case.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple conditions has been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for updated medical records and a VA examination for his service-connected conditions, including diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, and liver fibrosis with cirrhosis.