Diabetes decisions — 2021

The Board denied service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, finding that the Veteran's condition did not originate during active service and is not otherwise related to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation since September 8, 2006. The Board granted TDIU as of September 8, 2006.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU for the period from May 10, 2013 to March 25, 2015 due to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a left ring finger disability, bilateral foot fungus, numbness of the left upper extremity, diabetes mellitus, skin rash, and OSA. The remaining claim of service connection for prostate disability is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further action regarding service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and an initial disability rating for degenerative disc disease status-post anterior fusion of L2-S1. Specifically, the Board requests clarification on whether the Veteran was exposed to Agent Orange during his service in Vietnam, and orders a VA examination to assess the severity of his degenerative disc disease.

Prior to May 5, 2016, the Veteran's bilateral eye disability resulted in decreased vision with no better than 20/200 corrected distance vision and no visual field defects. A rating higher than 30 percent is not warranted.,From May 5, 2016 to February 18, 2020, the Veteran's bilateral eye disability resulted in decreased visual acuity with a right eye of at worst 10/200 and left eye of no better than light perception. A 100 percent rating is warranted.,As of February 18, 2020, the Veteran's bilateral eye disability has improved to corrected distance vision of 20/20 in both eyes with a visual field defect of less than 30 degrees in each eye. A higher rating is not warranted.

The Board is remanding the TDIU claim due to the need for additional VA treatment records, particularly those from October 2019 onwards. The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy are considered in this decision.

The claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus and Parkinson's disease due to exposure to herbicide agents and/or radiation exposure is reopened. The claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, GERD, and his lumbar spine disability were granted. The claim for a gallbladder condition was denied. Service connection for hiatal hernia and hypertension was not established. A rating of 70 percent for the lumbar spine disability is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's heart disabilities and presumed herbicide exposure in service. The Veteran is also denied service connection for diabetes mellitus.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, diabetes, and supraventricular tachycardia as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disability with alcohol use disorder.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an effective date earlier than March 31, 2008, for the award of service connection and a higher rating for GERD, to include diabetic gastroparesis and hiatal hernia.

The Veteran's service connection for diabetes mellitus is granted due to exposure at U-Tapao Air Force Base in Thailand, where he served as a security policeman. The Board found the Veteran's account of herbicide exposure credible and granted presumptive service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to unclear service connection and exposure history, as well as potential Gulf War presumptions.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities because there is insufficient evidence on whether the Veteran's diabetes is related to his in-service asbestos exposure or his service-connected COPD with sleep apnea. The VA examiner needs to provide an opinion regarding the etiology of the diabetes, including its relationship to both asbestos exposure and COPD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, thus granting a TDIU effective January 28, 2013.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, chronic kidney disease, and coronary artery disease due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during the Vietnam era. The Veteran's claims are supported by his testimony at a hearing and VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus and bilateral hearing loss due to in-service noise exposure, as well as his TDIU claim. The VA is required to provide an addendum opinion from appropriate experts regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, Parkinson's Disease, and hypertension based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents during the Veteran's service in Thailand.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is rated at 40% since May 8, 2019.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the lower left and right extremities are both rated at 40% since May 8, 2019.