Diabetes decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed. The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including arthritis of the feet and hands, knees, shoulders, chloracne, and diabetes mellitus type II (DM2), were all denied. The Board found that new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate any of these claims.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sinusitis, sleep disorder (hypersomnolence/hypersomnia), and diabetes mellitus as secondary to a sleep disorder due to potential new evidence. The Veteran's current hypersomnolence diagnosis is in question.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims and character of discharge. The main issue is whether the Veteran’s bad conduct discharge for his second period of service from August 2, 1989 to October 12, 1994 constitutes a bar to VA benefits.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, based on a presumption of exposure to herbicides due to service in the Republic of Vietnam. The Veteran's military records and deck logs confirm his exposure during this period.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Vietnam, and further development is needed.

The claims for service connection for COPD, a lumber spine disability (post laminectomy syndrome), sleep apnea, hepatitis C, angina post laminectomy syndrome, cardiomyopathy, diabetes mellitus type II, heart disease to include coronary artery disease status post CABG, and a skin rash have all been denied.,The claim for service connection for the cause of death has also been denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus was reopened due to new evidence, but the claim remains denied as there is no current diagnosis of DM and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the condition is related to service.

The Veteran's request to reopen a previously denied claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus was granted. Service connection for diabetes mellitus is denied, and the Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for sleep apnea. The Board has remanded the cases of rating higher than 10 percent for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with degenerative arthritis and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with degenerative arthritis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU, as his combined rating is 40 percent. The claim is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical opinions and records, particularly regarding the Veteran's exposure to environmental hazards during service. The claims of service connection for neuropathy are also inextricably intertwined with the DM type II claim.

The claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus is remanded due to the need for a VA examination. The Veteran's personnel records show he served at RTAFB U-Tapao, Thailand, but this does not qualify him for herbicide exposure presumptions.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus and its associated peripheral neuropathy due to a lack of information on whether the Veteran was within the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of Vietnam during his service. The AOJ is instructed to verify this exposure.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions have been reopened and granted.,Service connection has been established for coronary artery disease/ischemic heart disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus, left lower extremity diabetic neuropathy, right lower extremity diabetic neuropathy, left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

The Board has remanded the cases for verification of the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents while serving aboard the U.S.S. Okinawa (LPH-3) in the territorial seas within 12 nautical miles of Vietnam.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease, finding that the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand is sufficient to establish presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable, and therefore his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability was denied.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for various psychiatric conditions, diabetes, a right knee condition, and prostate cancer. The remand requires further development of evidence regarding the Veteran’s claimed stressors for PTSD, verification of his in-service exposure to carbon tetrachloride/toxic chemicals for prostate cancer, and an addendum opinion from the March 2019 VA examiner.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension and diabetes mellitus were related to his active service, specifically given that he was not exposed to Agent Orange in Okinawa.