Diabetes decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left upper extremity neuropathy and carpal tunnel syndrome, specifically whether it is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from obtaining and maintaining a substantially gainful occupation since January 31, 2008. The Board has granted an extraschedular TDIU rating for this period.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection on all issues related to his claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for GERD, a circulatory or vascular disability (claimed as heart and circulation problems), and diabetes mellitus, type II due to outstanding VA treatment records and additional development is required.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient VA and Social Security records being available.

The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, finding no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents or any link between the conditions and service.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, finding that the Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus was not manifested in service or within a year of discharge and is not related to his active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The effective date for this grant is January 28, 2016.,Service connection for headaches has been remanded as there is no indication that a formal or informal claim was filed prior to January 28, 2016.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for breast cancer and diabetes mellitus, type 2 are remanded due to potential exposure to asbestos during service. Addendum opinions will be obtained regarding the relationship between these conditions and service.,Service connection for a right eye cataract is remanded as there is no indication of in-service injury or disease related to this condition.,Service connection for a heart disability, hypertension, and neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities are all remanded. Addendum opinions will be obtained regarding these conditions.,Service connection for headaches remains remanded due to insufficient evidence on record.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities is remanded as there is no indication of in-service injury or disease related to this condition.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2 is remanded as there is no indication of in-service injury or disease related to this condition.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating higher than 30 percent for headaches remains remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions, including heart disability, chronic kidney disease, respiratory disorder, back disability, thyroid disability, diabetes mellitus, and neuropathy are remanded due to the need for further development regarding exposure to ionizing radiation in service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and stroke are granted as presumptively related to herbicide agent exposure during service.,Service connection for PTSD is denied due to lack of a formal claim prior to May 2, 2017. The Veteran's PTSD rating from April 30, 2018, is granted at 50 percent.,A TDIU is remanded as the issue has not been fully adjudicated.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings of his service-connected PTSD with MDD, right ear hearing loss, and the readjudication of his claims have been dismissed. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU has also been referred to the Hearing Branch.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is currently rated at 20 percent and requires insulin and a restricted diet. The Board denied the request for a higher rating as there was no evidence of regulation of activities or episodes of ketoacidosis/hypoglycemic reactions requiring hospitalization.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy as secondary to diabetes mellitus due to a lack of current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Veteran's GERD has been aggravated by his service-connected diabetes, and he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to multiple service-connected disabilities. Service connection for GERD secondary to diabetes is granted, and TDIU is also granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus, type II due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the USS Chevalier was within the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of the Republic of Vietnam during his service.

The Veteran's death was attributed to community acquired pneumonia and COPD, which the VA determined were not related to his service. The cause of death is believed to be due to his long-term tobacco smoking.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted service connection, while the claims for diabetes, heart disease, right lower extremity neurological disability, left lower extremity neurological disability, residuals of head injury, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were remanded.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU based on service-connected prostate cancer residuals was denied prior to May 4, 2020. From May 4, 2020 onwards, the claim is dismissed as moot due to a combined rating of 100% for prostate cancer and diabetes.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is granted service connection due to presumed exposure to herbicides. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the lower and upper extremities is denied as not related to service, including presumed herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for a separate compensable rating for diabetic retinopathy was denied as there is no evidence of compensable complications related to the condition.,The Veteran's claim for a separate compensable rating for diabetic nephropathy was denied because the VA examiner determined that the chronic kidney disease is not due to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.