Diabetes decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension and type II diabetes mellitus secondary to OSA due to incomplete service records indicating active duty from May 2009 to August 2009, which should be considered in the new VA addendum opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding his exposure to herbicide agents and asbestos. The Veteran is also required to provide any outstanding treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to herbicide agent exposure, as there is new evidence added to the record and a request must be made to verify the Veteran's reported exposure near the Korean DMZ.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to December 9, 2016 due to lack of evidence showing that his service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied service connection for DM2, DR, ED, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities as they were not incurred or aggravated by active duty service.,The Veteran's claims for secondary service connection to DM2 were also denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of VA medical evidence and an inadequate statement of reasons or bases. The case will be remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records, conduct new examinations, and provide opinions on the relationship between the Veteran's conditions and his presumed in-service herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed because he died during the pendency of his case, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of his claims.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, migraine headaches, radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, and radiculopathy of the right upper extremity due to a lack of supporting evidence in developing the Veteran's claim.

The Board denied service connection for paranoid schizophrenia, coronary artery disease, and diabetes mellitus type II due to exposure to herbicide agents. The Veteran did not have a diagnosis of these conditions during the appeal period, and there was no evidence of herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, prostate cancer, and a respiratory condition are remanded due to the need for additional medical records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran served in or near the Korean DMZ and, therefore, is presumed to have been exposed to herbicides. As a result, diabetes mellitus is granted as service-connected.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is granted as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's bilateral tinnitus remains at a maximum schedular rating of 10%. A 20% rating for diabetes mellitus type II is granted from July 7, 2010 to November 21, 2011; and a 40% rating is granted from November 21, 2011. The Veteran's service connection claims for right shoulder disability, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and bilateral knee disability are remanded. An increased rating for PTSD and cataracts associated with diabetes mellitus type II is also remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a medical opinion regarding the cause of death and because relevant treatment records from Washington Adventist Hospital have not been obtained.

The Veteran's claims for prostate cancer and type 2 diabetes mellitus were previously denied due to lack of exposure to herbicides. The Board has determined that the evidence now presented raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development and medical opinions regarding service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, secondary service connection for hypertension and ischemic heart disease, and exposure history.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of herbicide exposure during service, and the Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II was not shown as chronic in service or within a presumptive period. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has granted reopening of the claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus and has granted service connection. The claims for peripheral neuropathy are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and a heart disability due to potential exposure to herbicide agents while serving aboard the USS Agerholm in Vietnam. The Veteran's service records indicate he was in the territorial waters of Vietnam, which may establish presumptive exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and hypertension due to potential exposure issues related to the U.S.S. Enterprise (CVA (N) 65).