Diabetes decisions — 2020

The Veteran's tinnitus and diabetes mellitus, type II are granted service connection. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis (claimed as lower lumbar condition), right foot condition, and left foot condition is denied.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II is granted. Service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis (claimed as lower lumbar condition), right foot condition, and left foot condition is denied.

The Veteran's cerebrovascular disease and acute stroke with paralysis are not service-connected due to lack of evidence showing their onset during service or being related to herbicide exposure.,Loss of mobility, loss of sight in the right eye, and loss of speech secondary to the stroke are also not service-connected as they are considered secondary to the primary condition (stroke).,Atrial fibrillation is not service-connected due to lack of evidence showing its onset during service or being related to herbicide exposure.,Diabetes mellitus, type II, is not service-connected as there is no current diagnosis and no evidence linking it to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to exposure to herbicides, including Agent Orange. The AOJ is instructed to attempt to obtain the Veteran’s complete service treatment records and verify his reported exposure to herbicides during his time in Germany.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and its secondary conditions due to potential exposure to herbicide agents during his military service. The AOJ is instructed to determine if the USS Kitty Hawk was within 12 nautical miles offshore of Vietnam at any time during the period from August 15, 1965, to May 28, 1967, when the Veteran was aboard. If so, an addendum opinion must be obtained regarding whether his vascular disease and cataracts are secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus the TDIU claim is granted. The DEA claim is remanded for further consideration.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, thus granting his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The appeal for service connection for bilateral pseudophakia and macula scar is dismissed. The appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted, but the claims are remanded due to need for a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have erectile dysfunction or any other service-connected conditions. The reduction in disability ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and cubital/carpal tunnel syndromes, ulnar and median nerves, right wrist is found to be improper due to inadequate VA examination reports.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to various disabilities, including PTSD, hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, right ankle disability, neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, chronic fatigue syndrome, joint pain, muscle pain, headaches, cardiovascular symptoms, respiratory problems, and gastrointestinal symptoms. The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed for these claims.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II (DM II) due to its potential secondary nature to a service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, type II diabetes mellitus (diabetes), and folliculitis as the evidence did not support a causal relationship between these conditions and service or any service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and examination.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including an earlier effective date for diabetes and increased ratings for prostate cancer. The psychiatric disorder claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and coronary artery disease have been granted. The claim for bladder cancer is remanded due to new evidence submitted after the transfer of his appeal to the Board.

The Board has remanded the cases due to uncertainty about whether the Veteran served within 12 nautical miles of Vietnam, which is required for presumptive service connection under the Agent Orange Act. The VA will need to verify this and provide a medical opinion on the relationship between the Veteran's cause of death and his herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus was denied because new and material evidence had not been received. His claims for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction were also denied as they are not related to service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to September 20, 2013 for service connection for prostate cancer, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of the left lower extremity, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of the right lower extremity, erectile dysfunction, and diabetes have been denied.,The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to September 20, 2013 for service connection for prostate cancer, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of the left lower extremity, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of the right lower extremity, erectile dysfunction, and diabetes have been denied.,The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to September 20, 2013 for service connection for prostate cancer, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of the left lower extremity, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of the right lower extremity, erectile dysfunction, and diabetes have been denied.,The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to September 20, 2013 for service connection for prostate cancer, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of the left lower extremity, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of the right lower extremity, erectile dysfunction, and diabetes have been denied.,The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to September 20, 2013 for service connection for prostate cancer, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of the left lower extremity, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of the right lower extremity, erectile dysfunction, and diabetes have been denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, and renal failure with diabetic nephropathy to the RO for further development due to a lack of adequate discussion in the August 2017 decision.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus due to potential links between sleep apnea and diabetes, but no VA examiner has evaluated the Veteran's diabetes or addressed these theories yet.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to its inextricability with his pending claims for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability and diabetes mellitus. A new VA examination is required to determine if OSA was caused or aggravated by these conditions.