Diabetes decisions — 2021

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable prior to February 19, 2013, and the Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for this period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for heart disorder (coronary artery disease) and diabetes mellitus II are remanded due to the need for VA examinations to evaluate whether these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer, colon polyps, hypertension (HTN), erectile dysfunction (ED) as secondary to prostate cancer, and diabetes mellitus (DM). The remand is due to verify whether the U.S.S. Theodore E. Chandler sailed within 12 nautical miles of Vietnam or within the waters outlined in 38 U.S.C. § 1116A while the Veteran was aboard.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction and bilateral cataracts are rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted. The Veteran's TDIU claim for the period from June 9, 2009 through March 28, 2018 is granted.

The Board denied service connection for chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral eye disability, and heart disability. The disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by active duty or training.

The Veteran's left lower extremity atherosclerotic arterial occlusive disease was not found to meet the criteria for an increased rating from May 17, 2011 until February 8, 2021 and in excess of 20 percent thereafter. The Veteran's entitlement to TDIU was denied from May 17, 2011 until September 29, 2014 and granted from May 14, 2020.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's DM2 is related to service-connected CAD and/or HTN, or if it had its onset in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes, and there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure. Therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,Service connection was denied for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cancer of the left ear, prostate cancer, and herniated disc as there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus, Type-II, with erectile dysfunction is denied.,The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to November 6, 2012 for the grants of service connection for diabetic nephropathy and peripheral neuropathy are remanded.,The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations for diabetic nephropathy and peripheral neuropathy are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings and service connection due to issues with range of motion, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's knee conditions are being reviewed for additional evidence during flare-ups, while opinions on the causes of his hypertension and diabetes mellitus will be obtained.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus type II, rendered him incapable of securing and following a substantially gainful occupation from December 12, 2013. The Board granted an earlier effective date for the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II with hypertension, bilateral upper and lower diabetic peripheral neuropathy, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, meet the schedular criteria for entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is granted as service connected due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, DM II, right-hand injury, skin disease, HTN, bilateral eye disability, and peripheral neuropathy, bilateral lower extremity are all found to be related to service. The claims for ED, peripheral neuropathy, bilateral upper extremity, and left-hand injury were not reopened due to lack of new and relevant evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding opinions on whether the Veteran's sleep apnea was caused by his service-connected disabilities. The case is now remanded for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, type II diabetes mellitus, and neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities due to outstanding medical records and potential herbicide agent exposure.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, claimed as PTSD, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, migraine headaches, and diabetes mellitus, type II. The Veteran's reported stressors were not verified, and there was no medical evidence linking his current conditions to service.,Service connection was also denied for right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy (diagnosed as diabetic neuropathy), left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy (diagnosed as diabetic neuropathy), right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy (diagnosed as diabetic neuropathy), and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy (diagnosed as diabetic neuropathy).

The Veteran's service connection claim for a psychiatric disorder (anxiety disorder) is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran's anxiety disorder had its onset during service and remands other issues including service connection for residuals of a stroke, rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, and coronary artery disease.

The application to reopen the claim of service connection for Parkinson's disease was granted. Service connection for a cardiovascular disorder and diabetes mellitus type II were denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus, type II.