Diabetes decisions — 2020

The Board has dismissed all pending claims due to the death of both the Veteran and his surviving spouse.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes was reopened and granted. His MDD rating was increased to 70 percent, effective October 26, 2012.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is presumed to be related to his service in Thailand, where he was exposed to Agent Orange. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes, lumbar spine strain, sciatic neuropathy of both lower extremities, femoral neuropathies, and right shoulder DJD. The issues have been referred to include a new examination to determine whether the Veteran currently suffers from diabetes.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, type II due to herbicide exposure during active duty in South Korea.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is presumed to be due to herbicide exposure while serving aboard the USS Piedmont in Vietnam waters, and service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes. The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of hearing loss within the first post-service year or a nexus between the disability and service. For diabetes, the Board found that the Veteran did not require regulation of activities as part of his medical management, thus precluding a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2 was denied due to lack of in-service records and exposure. New evidence submitted suggests the Veteran may have been within the 12 nautical mile zone of the Republic of Vietnam, which could grant presumptive service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and colon cancer due to potential exposure to herbicide agents during his active naval service. The claim for type II diabetes mellitus is being remanded because the personnel records are incomplete, while the claim for colon cancer requires further examination if exposure to herbicide agents is established.

The appeal for service connection for the listed conditions is dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are being remanded due to the receipt of new evidence.,The Veteran is also being scheduled for various VA examinations related to his disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral eye disability causes 'permanent impairment of vision of both eyes,' warranting financial assistance for adaptive equipment in his vehicle.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic sinusitis was denied due to lack of new and material evidence. The claims for diabetes mellitus, type II; bipartite patella and degenerative joint disease of the right knee; bipartite patella and degenerative joint disease of the left knee; right knee instability; left knee instability from October 31, 2014; and symptomatic removal of right knee semilunar cartilage were all granted with a 10 percent disability rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, type II; coronary artery disease (CAD); peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities; thoracolumbar spine condition (back condition); and right knee degenerative joint disease (right knee condition) due to exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's military service in Vietnam is potentially relevant for these claims.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II as it did not have its onset in service, did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of service, and is not otherwise causally related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension due to herbicide exposure. The claims are remanded because new evidence was submitted that relates to unestablished facts necessary to substantiate the claims, raising a reasonable possibility of substantiating them.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petitions to reopen his claims for service connection for prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus, type II based on exposure to herbicide agents. The Board found that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service in Vietnam and therefore grants presumptive service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's combined rating for PTSD and Diabetes Mellitus was denied as the AOJ did not err in assigning a 60% rating prior to March 29, 2019.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension is related to his presumed herbicide exposure. A VA opinion is needed to address this issue.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, diabetic nephropathy, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities due to presumed exposure to Agent Orange during military service.