Diabetes decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea, urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, loss of use of the left leg, and loss of use of the right leg due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran is also being asked to provide a VA examination to determine the current severity of his asthma.

The Veteran's claims for cervical spine disability, diabetes mellitus, and residuals of gonorrhea have been denied. The claim for recurrent gastritis has been granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for heart disability, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of left upper extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of right upper extremity. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or secondary to a service-connected condition.

The Board denied the claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II due to herbicide exposure as there was no current diagnosis and the preponderance of evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran had diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in loss of use of one or both feet, which is a requirement for financial assistance for automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment. The Board denied the claim as the evidence does not support actual loss of use.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection was dismissed due to his death while the appeal was pending.

The Board has denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, bilateral eye disorder, and residuals of traumatic brain injury due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, but the Board denied a higher rating. The Veteran was also granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II on a presumptive basis due to exposure to herbicide agents, and for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities and erectile dysfunction secondary to diabetes. The decision also vacates previous decisions dismissing these claims.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus type-II from January 28, 2019 to August 15, 2020 was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a 100% disability rating due to lack of episodes of ketoacidosis or hypoglycemic reactions requiring weekly visits to diabetic care provider.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to address the Veteran's claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, including whether it is related to his hypertension and medications.

The Veteran's hyperlipidemia was not service-connected as it is a laboratory finding and does not constitute a disability for VA compensation.,Service connection was denied for right lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, sciatic nerve (claimed as “neuropathy associated with DM2 (herbicide) with ED”) due to lack of evidence showing the condition was incurred or aggravated during service.,Service connection was denied for left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, sciatic nerve (claimed as “neuropathy associated with DM2 (herbicide) with ED”) for similar reasons.,There is no evidence of tick bite disease in the record.,No residual maladies of vaccines were found in the Veteran's medical history.,Residuals of a broken nose are not established in the record.,Inguinal hernia and its residuals have not been substantiated by the evidence.,Malaria and its residuals are not supported by the available records.,Umbilical hernia and its residuals were not found in the Veteran's medical history.

The Board has remanded the claims for an addendum VA medical opinion to determine the severity of the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy throughout the appeal period, as the relevant VA examination reports did not seem to include determinations regarding whether the Veteran’s peripheral neuropathy was mild, moderate, moderately severe, or severe.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for pancreatic cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension due to contaminated water exposure at Camp Lejeune. Additional development is needed including obtaining private treatment records from Dr. Christein, Dr. Voyles, and Dr. Gray, as well as VA medical opinions on the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred or aggravated during service and is denied.,Rheumatoid arthritis was not incurred or aggravated during service and is denied.,Type II diabetes mellitus was not diagnosed within the applicable presumptive period and is denied.,Numbness in the hands and feet, presumed secondary to type II diabetes mellitus, is not supported by evidence of a current disability.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity was denied as the evidence did not show severe incomplete paralysis with marked muscular atrophy.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (low back injury and diabetes) did not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to February 20, 2008.

The Veteran's tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, DM with diabetic complications, prostate disability (chronic prostatitis), and heart disability (coronary artery disease) are being remanded for further development.,Additional medical records will be requested to determine the presence of these conditions prior to the Veteran’s death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus was denied as new and material evidence had not been received. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected hypothyroidism secondary to Grave's disease is denied.

The appeal for service connection for right ear hearing loss was dismissed. The Veteran's claim of service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer was granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Korea.