Diabetes decisions — 2020

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, right ear hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and heart disability were all granted service connection. The heart disability was determined to be ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for tinea pedis was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.,The issue of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, due to service-connected disabilities is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The Veteran's current unspecified depressive disorder is not related to his service.,Service connection was denied for erectile dysfunction.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board found that it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating as he only required restricted diet and one or more daily injections of insulin.

The Board has denied the Veteran's appeal due to a lack of timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) for the June 2013 and May 2014 decisions denying service connection for ischemic heart disease. The case is remanded for further action regarding exposure to herbicide agents during service.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service-connected, and he is awarded a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates were denied. The compensable rating for the surgical scar status/post CABG surgery was not granted, while the diabetes mellitus (DM) and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy (PN) were rated at 20 percent.,Effective dates prior to March 7, 2012, for service connection of diabetic PN RLE and LLE were denied.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than November 16, 2017 for service connection have been denied.,The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus has been remanded.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left upper and right upper extremity diabetic neuropathy have been remanded.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for erectile dysfunction has been remanded.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, BPH, basal cell carcinoma (BCC), HTN, glaucoma, and retinopathy have been remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for Parkinson’s disease has been remanded.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral lower extremity neuropathy and a rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus type II, finding that the Veteran did not have these conditions during the appeal period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, but the specific conditions and their relationship to military service are not specified in this decision.

The Board has granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease due to exposure to herbicide agents, and an initial rating of 70% for PTSD. The appeal is remanded for further action on the remaining issues.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for back disorder, right leg disorder, left leg disorder, and diabetes mellitus, type II, as secondary to service-connected conditions. The effective date is not specified.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA examinations and additional treatment records. The issue of automobile and adaptive equipment eligibility is being remanded due to unclear evidence on whether the Veteran has lost use of his feet.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful activity prior to November 15, 2011.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus with mild non-proliferative retinopathy of the left eye is rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations. The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as his condition does not warrant regulation of activities or complications requiring hospitalization.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, as well as diabetes mellitus, type II, require additional development due to new VA medical records being added to his claims file.

The Board has dismissed all appeals seeking service connection for various conditions as the appellant died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus requires a rating in excess of 10 percent, but no higher. The effective dates for TDIU and DEA benefits have been granted as July 1, 2015. The issues of increased ratings for generalized anxiety disorder with insomnia NOS and alcohol abuse, prostate cancer, irradiation proctitis associated with prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to exposure to herbicide agents for heart disability, neuropathy, and diabetes mellitus type II. The records from Dr. A.P., Norwood Clinic in Gardendale, Arizona, and any other care providers who may have treated the Veteran need to be obtained.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease, but the issues of increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction associated with diabetes mellitus, as well as TDIU based on service-connected disabilities, are remanded.