Diabetes decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is at least as likely due to chemical exposure during his military service.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral eye disorder, finding that the Veteran's conditions are not related to his service or his service-connected diabetes.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II and related peripheral neuropathy are granted as presumptively related to herbicide exposure in Thailand.,The Veteran's hypertension is also granted as presumptively related to herbicide exposure in Thailand. The Veteran's erectile dysfunction and voiding dysfunction, as well as his bilateral eye conditions (cataracts and diabetic retinopathy) are all secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and remand directives were not complied with, necessitating another examination for each of the service connection claims.,The Veteran's right knee disability is being examined to determine if it is related to his in-service fall and motor vehicle accident. The examiner will also consider the Veteran’s lay statements regarding these events.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity can be adjudicated.,The Veteran's hypertension may not have been related to his exposure to herbicide agents, as no VA examiner has provided an opinion on this issue.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD due to conflicting evidence and need for further examination.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II as it did not meet the criteria of direct or secondary service connection. The appeal was also dismissed due to lack of herbicide agent exposure and because the Veteran's diabetes was not caused by his service-connected peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for onychomycosis and diabetes mellitus due to their inextricability, as well as the need to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as new and material evidence was not received to reopen the previously denied claims. The claim for bilateral pes planus is granted, but the other conditions are denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,The Veteran's residuals of prostate cancer are rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 7528.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete medical records from Dr. M-Q and Dr. G.S., which are necessary to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining all forms of substantially gainful employment, so his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability is denied.

The Veteran's allergic rhinitis is granted a higher 10 percent rating. The claims for service connection for deviated septum and tonsillectomy, obstructive sleep apnea, and diabetes mellitus are dismissed due to lack of jurisdiction.

The Board has denied service connection for COPD and remanded the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction due to herbicide exposure in Thailand.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus, diabetic nephropathy, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, and coronary artery disease. The Veteran's claims were not granted prior to October 30, 2006.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities was granted effective September 10, 2019. The rating assigned is 40 percent for each affected extremity.

The Board has dismissed all claims of service connection for various conditions, including kidney condition, GERD, thyroid disease, diabetes mellitus type II, nicotine dependency, hepatitis C and its residuals, peripheral artery disease, opioid dependency, hypertension (also claimed as high blood pressure), chronic back condition as secondary to multiple myeloma, COPD, multiple myeloma, coronary artery disease (CAD), erectile dysfunction, and chronic anemia. The appeal is dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of residuals of lung cancer, prostate cancer, type 2 diabetes, kidney cancer, colon cancer, or monoclonal gammopathy. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus due to insufficient examination and lack of consideration of relevant evidence.

The Veteran's service connection claim for diabetes mellitus, claimed as secondary to herbicide exposure, is remanded due to uncertainty about his service in the territorial sea of Vietnam.