Diabetes decisions — 2021

The Board has granted service connection for major depressive disorder, right-hand and left-hand peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and bilateral pes planus. The claims for right knee disability, left knee disability, diabetes mellitus, right lower extremity neuropathy, and left lower extremity neuropathy are denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his service-connected conditions did not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for diabetes mellitus, type II is denied. The right knee and left knee disability claims are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The hypertension claim is also remanded.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, Guillain-Barre syndrome, heart disability, and Parkinson’s disease due to new and material evidence. The claims are now remanded for further development regarding exposure to PCBs during service.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus due to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's bilateral peripheral neuropathy and erectile dysfunction are remanded for additional development.

The Board has vacated the August 2018 decision and remanded for further development on service connection claims due to the Veteran's death. The claims are now being considered on their merits.

The Veteran's type 2 diabetes mellitus is granted as presumptively incurred due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.,PTSD remains remanded for further development and consideration.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension due to potential service connection based on exposure, but no rating or effective date is assigned as these issues are pending.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the anterior crural nerves and diabetes mellitus have been denied as his conditions do not warrant a higher rating based on the current evidence.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy was denied as he did not have a diagnosed disability. The heart disease and diabetes mellitus claims were remanded due to insufficient evidence.

Service connection has been granted for diabetes mellitus, type II and bilateral lower and upper extremity peripheral neuropathy. Service connection is also granted for kidney disability and prostate disability due to herbicide agent exposure.,The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II is found to be the primary cause of his bilateral lower and upper extremity peripheral neuropathy.

Service connection is granted for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, and erectile dysfunction. Service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy remains pending as the evidence is insufficient to establish a link with herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the cases due to uncertainty regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents and whether he served within the territorial sea of Vietnam, which could affect his eligibility for presumptive service connection. The VA is instructed to verify these details and provide a medical opinion on the relationship between the Veteran's conditions and his service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment for the appeal period prior to August 11, 2017.

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and tinnitus have been granted. The Board found that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service in Thailand and thus meets the presumptive criteria for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 40 percent for diabetes mellitus has been denied. The case is remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his TDIU claim prior to June 27, 2016.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for a new VA medical opinion regarding the cause of death and the nature and etiology of the Veteran's end stage liver disease.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, finding that it is not related to his active duty service or any service-connected disability. The issue of entitlement to compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for complications resulting from removal of a Baker’s cyst was also remanded.

The Veteran's combined disability rating prior to October 27, 2016 was 80 percent. The Board found that the schedular requirements for a TDIU were met due to his service-connected conditions, but he was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for type II diabetes mellitus and associated peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.