Diabetes decisions — 2021

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, type II diabetes mellitus, and erectile dysfunction have been granted.,However, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded.

The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease, prostate cancer, and type 2 diabetes mellitus due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran is unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, which include coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, type II, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, post-operative scarring from a heart procedure, and erectile dysfunction. The Board has granted entitlement to TDIU based on these conditions.

The appellant withdrew her appeals regarding service connection for diabetic neuropathy and varicose veins of the lower extremities, which were dismissed as a result.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to provide an adequate opinion regarding whether service-connected coronary artery disease aggravated the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's diabetes and hypertension are rated at the maximum available rating of 20 percent. The Veteran's left and right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy are each rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum available rating for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for chronic headaches, diabetes mellitus, facial scars, left eye vision loss, and an acquired psychiatric disability were all denied as they are not related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus and bilateral diabetic neuropathy, prevent him from securing and following any substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his heart condition and lower extremity neuropathies, have resulted in a loss of use of one or more extremities that precludes locomotion without the aid of braces, crutches, canes, or a wheelchair. As such, he is eligible for specially adapted housing.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development and an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's conditions, including service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, finding insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between his in-service weight gain and current diabetes diagnosis. The Board also found no evidence of exposure to herbicide agents (Agent Orange) during service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, glaucoma, and erectile dysfunction due to insufficient evidence regarding herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The Veteran's statements indicate he served briefly in Vietnam but there is no verification from JSRRC.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection on four separate conditions due to the appellant's death.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus, PTSD, and peripheral neuropathy, made it impossible for him to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from April 3, 2009, to June 14, 2016, and from October 1, 2016, to August 1, 2017.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is dismissed as moot due to the concurrent assignment of a 100 percent rating for service-connected disabilities and SMC benefits. The SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance claim is denied as the evidence does not show that the Veteran requires regular aid and assistance.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings of PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and TDIU have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeal before a decision was made.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ratings for various conditions and claims of secondary service connection. The decision also notes that there are outstanding VA treatment records which need to be obtained.

The Board dismissed all the appeals as they are related to deceased Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable for the period prior to April 12, 2017. As of April 12, 2017, his combined rating was 100%, and he is in receipt of special monthly compensation at the housebound rate.