Diabetes decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the need for additional medical records and a review of existing ones. The Veteran's conditions include bilateral flat feet, knee issues, neck pain, high blood pressure, stomach problems, diabetes, headaches, nerve disorders in various extremities, all potentially related to exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease, type II diabetes mellitus, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy due to herbicide exposure. The claim for erectile dysfunction secondary to type II diabetes mellitus is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea, headaches, and tinnitus to obtain a VA medical opinion assessing whether these conditions are secondary to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus as there was no in-service event, injury, or disease related to the Veteran's condition and he did not have exposure to herbicide agents during his military service.

The Veteran's appeal was not timely completed, and his claims for service connection were denied.

The Veteran's effective date for additional dependency compensation for his spouse is denied as the evidence was received more than a year after notification of his qualifying disability rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board finds new and material evidence has been submitted. The issues of entitlement to service connection for hypertension, heart condition, diabetes mellitus, sinus disability, left leg disability, and eye disability are remanded due to outstanding records.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further medical evaluation and opinion regarding the service connection of hypertension, as well as its relationship to other conditions like diabetes mellitus, PTSD, and coronary artery disease.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. The claims are now remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II. However, the claim for secondary service connection for hypertension is remanded due to lack of recent medical records and need for an opinion regarding whether hypertension is related to diabetes.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including major depressive disorder, sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction, right and left lower extremity diabetic sciatic neuropathy, hypertension, right ankle degenerative disease, and left foot hammertoes, are sufficient to render him unemployable. The Board has granted TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient evidence regarding his exposure to herbicides and a need for further medical evaluation of his psychiatric disorder.

The Board has remanded several issues including service connection for tinnitus, diabetes as secondary to herbicide exposure, increased ratings for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to November 29, 2016. The Veteran's claims are currently under review.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of diabetes mellitus, type II, as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability. The evidence did not support a finding that the diabetes was caused by or aggravated by the lumbar spine disability.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his hypertensive heart disease and other contributing conditions were not related to his military service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient verification of the Veteran's reported stressor involving a fellow service member. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder remains pending.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or maintaining gainful employment at any time during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(r)(1) is granted with an effective date of February 15, 2013.

The Veteran's death was not due to a service-connected disability, and the Board denied claims for increased pension benefits and accrued benefits.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type I (diabetes), with erectile dysfunction, bilateral diabetic retinopathy, and cellulitis is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of these conditions.