Diabetes decisions — 2021

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on four different conditions have been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding ratings for left and right lower extremity diabetic neuropathy, as well as bilateral hearing loss due to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, finding that the evidence did not support a link between any of these conditions and the Veteran's active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, including as due to exposure to jet engine fuel, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to his death, and no jurisdiction remains for the claims.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions likely render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a TDIU rating.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between the disabilities and active duty service. The Veteran's diabetes was not shown in service or related to service, nor were his other conditions found to be secondary to his diabetes.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to incomplete records and the need for further medical evaluation.

The Board has dismissed the appeal as to all claims due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, thus the claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for Diabetes Mellitus, Type II, finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand and is presumed to have been exposed. The Board also found that there is no evidence to rebut this presumption.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to exposure to an herbicidal agent for prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus, type II. The remand is required because a VA examiner did not consider the Veteran's other service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be service-connected, with an effective date of March 21, 2017.,An earlier effective date of March 21, 2017 for the 40 percent rating assigned for lumbosacral strain and discogenic disease is granted.,Service connection for a gastrointestinal disability (claimed as diverticulosis) is remanded due to lack of evidence regarding its relationship with service-connected conditions.,Service connection for a prostate disability (claimed as prostate cancer) is remanded due to lack of evidence regarding its relationship with service-connected conditions.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, heart condition, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus are all remanded due to lack of evidence regarding their relationships with service-connected conditions.,Service connection for osteopenia is remanded due to lack of evidence regarding its relationship with service-connected conditions.,Service connection for a cervical spine disability is remanded due to lack of evidence regarding its relationship with service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to concerns about the competency of a VA examiner who provided an opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's diabetes. The Veteran and his representative need information on this examiner’s qualifications.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, DMII, xerostomia, aerophagia, and rhinitis have been granted.,Service connection has been established for xerostomia as secondary to the Veteran’s service-connected hypertensive heart disease.

Service connection is granted for bilateral lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Service connection for hypertension is remanded.

The Board has dismissed the claims for diabetes mellitus, a rating in excess of 30 percent for left eye condition, and a rating in excess of 20 percent for left shoulder condition. The remaining issues have been remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and coronary artery disease (CAD) have been granted as secondary to herbicide agent exposure in Thailand.,The Veteran's claim for a prostate disorder remains pending due to insufficient information regarding the etiology of his erectile dysfunction.

The Veteran's appeal for a total disability based on individual unemployability prior to June 27, 2018 is remanded due to changes in his service-connected conditions and the need for additional evidence regarding his ability to work.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2, bilateral lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, myositis (myopathy), hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and prostate cancer due to lack of evidence regarding herbicide exposure.