Diabetes decisions — 2021

The Board dismissed all service connection claims due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease and diabetes did not prevent him from securing or maintaining a gainful occupation prior to July 5, 2018.

The claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, foot disability (claimed as blisters or blood poison), respiratory disability (COPD), diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiac/heart disability, right lower extremity PVD, left lower extremity PVD, right lower extremity DVT, left lower extremity DVT, embolism, cellulitis, right ulnar peripheral neuropathy, and left ulnar peripheral neuropathy have been granted. The claims for service connection for right hip disability, left hip disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, back/spine disability, and left eye disability are still pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient rationale provided in previous VA opinions. The issues include peripheral neuropathy of various extremities, DM, hypertension, and foot disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not been shown to preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, glaucoma, left hip disorder, and left leg disorder have been denied as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions began during service or are otherwise related to service.,The Veteran's claim for ulceration of the right septum has been denied as there is no current diagnosis of this condition. The Veteran's current symptoms do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 6502.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating of diabetes mellitus and service connection for bilateral upper and lower extremity diabetic neuropathy have been granted. However, the issue of TDIU prior to July 19, 2011 remains pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, type 2, and therefore cannot establish service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's prostate cancer, type II diabetes mellitus (diabetes), and coronary artery disease are granted as service-connected due to exposure to herbicide agents during his active duty at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB in Thailand.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, type II and service connection for hypertension. The case will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's appeal for diabetes mellitus type II, to include as due to alleged herbicide exposure, is dismissed.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus has been reopened and granted.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction (ED) and sleep apnea are remanded. The Board notes that no examination was conducted regarding the Veteran's claimed vertigo.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for vertigo is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for diabetes mellitus due to incomplete service treatment records and personnel records, which may establish that his diabetes had its onset in service.

The Board denied service connection for breast cancer, coronary artery disease, and diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's breast cancer is presumed to be related to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, but the VA examiner found no causal link.,Coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus are not connected to active service or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinions obtained after the most recent remand are inadequate and the claims must be remanded again for further development.

The Board has denied reopening the claim for service connection of diabetes mellitus due to lack of new and material evidence. The hearing loss claim is remanded as the Veteran testified that his hearing loss had worsened since the last VA examination.

The Board has decided that service connection for high cholesterol is denied. The issues of service connection for strokes, diabetes mellitus, type II, myocardial infarctions, hypertension, and coronary artery disease are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for diabetic retinopathy with bilateral macular edema, glaucoma, and cataracts is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate opinion regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension is aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type 2.

The Veteran's hypertension and diabetes mellitus type II are granted as presumptively related to service due to herbicide exposure. Service connection is also granted for left knee, right knee, and lower back conditions, all presumed to be caused by herbicide exposure. The esophageal condition (GERD) is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, was rated at 20 percent and his coronary artery disease was rated at 10 percent. The Board denied both claims for higher ratings.