Diabetes decisions — 2021

The Board has granted service connection and secondary service connection for various conditions, including type II diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, coronary artery disease, diabetic retinopathy, depressive and anxiety disorders with insomnia, chronic anemia, and GERD. The effective dates are not specified as the appeal is based on reopening of previously denied claims.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and abdominal cancer due to herbicide exposure (including TCDD dioxin) as insufficient development was done. The Veteran served at Anderson Air Force Base in Guam where he claimed exposure to herbicides.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a direct or secondary relationship to his service-connected thyroidectomy.

The Veteran's hypertension, psychiatric disability (anxiety disorder and depressive disorder), hyperlipidemia or dyslipidemia (high cholesterol), diabetes mellitus, heart disability, and heat exhaustion residuals were not shown to have originated during active service.,Service connection for these conditions was denied as the evidence did not establish a relationship between the disabilities and active service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral diabetic retinopathy and chronic bullous pemphigoid diabeticorum on a secondary basis to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities is denied as there is no current diagnosis.

The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus is granted service connection due to herbicide agent exposure. Service connection for benign prostate hypertrophy is remanded as there is no direct evidence of its relation to in-service prostatitis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable prior to December 24, 2019.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition and any secondary disabilities. The TDIU issue is also being remanded due to its inextricability with the other issue.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for hearing loss, a back disability, hypertension or high blood pressure, and diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's initial and increased rating claims for degenerative joint and disc disease of the lumbar with chronic lumbar strain are denied.,Service connection secondary to service-connected PTSD is remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions including right knee injury, heart disease, reflux, PTSD, diabetes type II, neck injury, and hypertension as there was no evidence of a current disability or a nexus to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, as his income has exceeded the poverty threshold level throughout the appeal period.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for diabetes mellitus, cardiomyopathy, and TDIU due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus denying his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, degenerative arthritis of the left ankle, chronic lumbar strain, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, have resulted in a combined rating of 90 percent. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his death was due to multisystem organ failure caused by septic shock and other conditions not related to service or his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and vision loss, need further review due to potential death of the Veteran. The appeal is being remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's cataracts prior to June 2, 2013 are granted a 10 percent rating. From June 3, 2013, the Veteran is not entitled to a compensable rating for his cataracts with diplopia.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examinations.

The Board has denied a higher rating for diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction. The Court ordered the remand to be completed and the case returned to the Board, but no SSOC was issued before sending it back. The matter is now being sent back for further development.