Diabetes decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease, diabetes, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities due to a lack of verification regarding his in-service exposures. The VA is instructed to attempt to verify these exposures and obtain an opinion from a clinician regarding their relationship to the claimed conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for glaucoma as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The decision resolves all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for skin cancer, finding that it was not related to his military service or herbicide exposure. The Board also granted a TDIU based on the Veteran's service-connected ischemic heart disease and diabetes.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's sleep apnea, and a new medical opinion is needed.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus with paresthesia, hypertension, ischemic heart disease (IHD), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have been reopened. The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to asbestos during service and remanded his claims for these conditions due to insufficient evidence of a connection between his current conditions and service.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease was rated at 60 percent prior to October 10, 2013. The Board found that the evidence did not warrant a higher rating due to lack of congestive heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction less than 30 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain substantially gainful employment, and his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board has determined that the effective date for DIC based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death should be November 1, 2013, as this is the earliest allowable effective date based on the relevant law and regulation pertaining to DIC claims. The appellant’s October 2013 claim was interpreted by the AOJ as including a claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus has not resulted in episodes of ketoacidosis or hypoglycemic reactions requiring one or two hospitalizations per year, so a higher rating is denied.

The appeal of the claim seeking service connection for bilateral eye disorder, asthma, COPD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus has been dismissed.,The appeals of the claims seeking service connection for left knee disorder, right knee disorder, OSA, and diabetes mellitus have been remanded.

The Board has dismissed the appeal regarding TDIU as moot due to the restoration of a 100% rating for service-connected malignant fibrous histiocytoma. The case is remanded for further consideration on the issue of service connection for diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that diabetes mellitus, type 2 had its onset within one year of the Veteran's separation from service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance and/or housebound status, finding that his service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for this benefit.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to obtain private treatment records from Steele Memorial Rural Health Clinic, which may contain relevant information for the Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II claim.

The Board has remanded the case to determine if the Veteran's poor dentition related to his service-connected maxillary fibroma has aggravated his diabetes mellitus type I, or if it was proximately aggravated by poor dentition related to his service-connected maxillary fibroma.

The Board dismissed the appeals of the Veteran's claims for service connection as they are moot due to his death.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him so helpless as to be in need of regular A&A of another person, and the preponderance of the evidence is against his claim for SMC based on A&A or by reason of being housebound.

The Board has restored service connection for Chronic Kidney Disease with Hypertension and found the severance of service connection for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy of the Left Upper Extremity and Right Upper Extremity to be proper.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to incomplete development.

The Veteran's initial higher rating for diabetes mellitus and separate ratings for diabetic neuropathy are granted. Service connection for fibromyalgia is denied.