Diabetes decisions — 2020

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II was dismissed without prejudice due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeal.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is rated at 40 percent, which requires a restricted diet and insulin or an oral hypoglycemic agent. The decision grants the rating for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case to determine if the Veteran served within 12 nautical miles of Vietnam's shores during his service on the USS Midway, which could affect his claim for diabetes mellitus, type II based on herbicide exposure.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease, finding that the conditions were not incurred in or related to service, including as due to herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to herbicide agent exposure for diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and peripheral neuropathy of multiple extremities. The Veteran's ship deck logs need to be obtained to verify his exposure in Vietnam.

The Veteran's hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), left and right lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy are all denied service connection. The CAD is rated at 30 percent prior to September 3, 2018, and 100 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's cause of death is remanded for a medical opinion on whether his military service resulted in the disease that caused his death, and whether his service-connected disabilities contributed to his death. Non-service-connected death pension benefits eligibility is also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected diabetes, including any complications such as diabetic neuropathy, is being remanded due to the lack of consideration of two June 2019 VA examination reports.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim of service connection for residuals of a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), including as secondary to diabetes mellitus and/or coronary artery disease, and whether it is related to herbicide exposure. The decision will be reconsidered due to inadequate medical opinions on aggravation and direct service connection.

The Veteran's claim for obesity is dismissed. The claims of service connection for CAD, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension are granted to the extent that new evidence has been received supporting these claims. Other issues remain pending.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type 1 and all secondary conditions claimed as related to the Veteran's diabetes. The decision found insufficient evidence of herbicide exposure or a link between diabetes and Agent Orange.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for six conditions due to a lack of reasonable efforts in obtaining his Coast Guard Reserve records and an inadequate August 2014 skin disorder examination. The Veteran is entitled to additional evidence and argument, as well as VA examinations or medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, finding that the evidence did not support a causal relationship between the two conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for aortic stenosis, diabetes mellitus, Wolff-Parkinson White syndrome, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis due to possible herbicide agent exposure in Gulfport, Mississippi.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities as secondary to diabetes, diabetic cataracts as secondary to diabetes, kidney disease as secondary to diabetes, and erectile dysfunction as secondary to diabetes. The Board found that there was no evidence of in-service incurrence or relation to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction, finding that there was no evidence of in-service onset or a link to military service.

Service connection is granted for diabetes mellitus and tinnitus, but erectile dysfunction remains denied.

The Veteran has been found unemployable due to service-connected disabilities since May 27, 2003. The effective date for the TDIU is set at that time.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus, tinnitus, left knee pain, right knee pain, heart disorder (ischemic heart disease), bilateral hearing loss, and back disorder are all granted. The claim for service connection for a right shoulder disorder is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities due to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's conditions are presumed to be related to his military service.