Diabetes decisions — 2021

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for osteosarcoma, but has remanded several other claims due to lack of evidence or need for further examination.

The Veteran's appeals for initial compensable disability ratings for tinea pedis and onychomycosis of both feet, as well as an increased rating for diabetic retinopathy, are being remanded due to incomplete private medical records. The Board will attempt to obtain these records and then readjudicate the issues.

The Veteran's service connection for diabetes mellitus (DM) has been granted.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for erectile dysfunction (ED) is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and type II diabetes mellitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service. The decision is based on presumptive exposure to herbicide agents (including Agent Orange) in Thailand during the Vietnam War era.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus, type II have been granted. The Board also remanded the issues of entitlement to compensation for vision problems and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, and numbness in legs and feet. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence of herbicide exposure or other harmful chemicals during his military service.,The Board found that the Veteran did not serve in Vietnam and thus could not be presumed to have been exposed to herbicides. There was no direct evidence linking any of the claimed conditions to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for severance of service connection for pulmonary nodules and left lung base scarring, as well as the claims for liver disease and diabetes mellitus due to inadequate VA examination. The Veteran's assertions regarding exposure during service are considered.

The Veteran's service-connected psychoneurosis with hysteria is found to have contributed substantially or materially to the cause of his death, which occurred in December 2011. The Board affirms that this disability was a contributory cause of death.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting evidence regarding whether the Veteran currently has obstructive sleep apnea. The examiner will be asked to clarify this and provide opinions on whether the service-connected disabilities or medications prescribed for them caused obesity, if obesity was a factor in causing sleep apnea, and what would have happened without the service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss was evaluated at Level I, which does not warrant a compensable rating. The right ear hearing loss did not meet the criteria for disability.,The Board found that there is insufficient evidence to establish service connection for right ear hearing loss and remanded the issue.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for sleep apnea and diabetes mellitus due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's spouse reported witnessing his snoring, gasping, and interrupted breathing shortly after separation from service in 1991. VA treatment records are needed to support a determination on these issues.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for diabetes mellitus is dismissed. Service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus substantially contributed to his death, and thus grants entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to lack of medical evidence linking the Veteran's in-service exposure to dust and airborne particles with his death from acute myocardial infarction. The Board found that while there were positive opinions, they lacked sufficient rationale and were speculative.

The Board has denied all service connection claims for various conditions, including left elbow disability, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, memory loss associated with major depressive disorder, peripheral vestibular disability, left knee scar, and bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus type II was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating, as it required only restricted diet and daily injections of insulin during the period on appeal. Separate ratings were also denied for diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy due to conflicting medical evidence.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for diabetes was denied, and he is currently receiving a TDIU.,For the period prior to January 15, 2020, his diabetes disability did not meet the criteria for a higher than 20 percent rating.

The Board denied reopening the claim of entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus because no new and material evidence was presented.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for diabetes mellitus, an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss, and an earlier effective date for a hearing loss increase. The appeal is dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has denied service connection for right knee disability, heart disability, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy. Service connection for PTSD is remanded due to the need for a retrospective opinion on its onset and etiology.