Diabetes decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, gout, and a cardiovascular disorder due to inadequate opinions in the VA examination reports. The Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents is not considered relevant to these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's claimed conditions and exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, loss of right kidney (due to renal cell carcinoma), bilateral upper and lower peripheral neuropathy, and erectile dysfunction as due to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's claim was reopened based on new evidence.,Service connection for these conditions could not be established because the Veteran did not have presumptive exposure to herbicides in Korea.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicides while serving aboard a ship in the territorial sea of Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for glaucoma due to herbicide agent exposure and/or service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The case is returned for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable prior to September 14, 2017. The Board found that the Veteran was able to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation despite his PTSD symptoms.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his active duty service or any in-service exposure.

The Veteran's death was caused by end stage COPD due to diabetes mellitus, type II. The Board found that the service-connected diabetes mellitus and non-service-connected COPD contributed to the cause of death.

The Veteran's claim to reopen service connection for a respiratory disability is granted. The claims for service connection for gum, diabetes mellitus, and sleep apnea are remanded.

The Board dismissed all issues from appeal due to the Veteran's attorney withdrawing representation and expressing an intent to withdraw all issues.

The Veteran's service connection claim for type II diabetes mellitus is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents (Agent Orange) during his service in Thailand.

The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including lupus and vision disorders. The Veteran's claim was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II was rated at 20 percent prior to January 12, 2017 and increased to 40 percent from January 12, 2017 to November 1, 2018.,From November 1, 2018 onwards, the Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is rated at 40 percent.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, colon cancer, COPD, heart disability, sleep apnea, peptic ulcer, hydrocele, type II diabetes mellitus, urothelial cancer (claimed as bladder cancer), cervical spine disability, peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, right knee disability, and left knee disability. The cause of death claim is also remanded.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to address the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions. The specific issues include diabetes mellitus, osteoarthritis of the sacroiliac joint, diverticulitis, rheumatoid arthritis, storage mite syndrome, hypertension, and bilateral shoulder strain.

The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction, finding that it is aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus is presumed to be due to his exposure to herbicide agents, specifically Agent Orange, during service. The Board granted the claim based on this presumption.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II due to a failure to substantially comply with an October 2019 remand order.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for DM2 with ED, arthritis of the bilateral elbows and left knee to include gout, and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. The effective date for the grant of service connection for DM2 with ED was set at July 24, 2007.