Diabetes decisions — 2022

The Board has determined that the Veteran had service in Vietnam and is therefore presumed to have been exposed to herbicide agents. As a result, diabetes mellitus type II and ischemic heart disease (including atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease) are presumptively service connected due to exposure to herbicide agents. The cause of the Veteran's death, which was caused by these conditions, is therefore granted.

The Board has found that there was not substantial compliance with the February 2022 remand requests and thus, the case is being returned to obtain Goldmann visual field charts from various dates. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his bilateral glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts is now pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II was granted on December 8, 2000. The effective date is set at this time.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The rating for residuals of left ear cyst excision was also denied.

The Board denied service connection for a cervical spine disorder and diabetes mellitus, type II, finding that the Veteran's conditions were not shown to be causally related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for skin lesions, cysts, basal cell carcinoma, colon cancer, and diabetes mellitus due to conflicting medical opinions.,The Veteran's death prevented a final determination on these claims.

The Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents in Thailand and Vietnam is presumed, leading to the grant of service connection for his cause of death due to atherosclerotic heart disease and diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate VA examination opinions regarding military environmental exposures and their relation to the Veteran's cause of death. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion on whether it is approximately as likely as not that the Veteran's cause of death was related to such exposures.

The Board denied service connection for a cardiac disability and diabetes mellitus, finding that the Veteran was not exposed to herbicides or insecticides during his active service at Fort Rucker. The medical evidence did not support a link between any alleged in-service exposure to these substances and the current disabilities.,Service connection was also denied on a direct basis as there were no records of pre-existing conditions prior to service, and post-service treatment records showed that neither disability is related directly to active service.

The Veteran's spine injury claim has been reopened, and service connection for a spine injury is granted.,Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity is granted as secondary to service-connected type II diabetes mellitus. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity is also granted as secondary to service-connected type II diabetes mellitus.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy and type II diabetes mellitus are denied due to failure to appear for scheduled VA examinations without showing good cause.,Service connection for a spine injury is remanded, as the Veteran has provided evidence of a fall at a VA facility in November 2014 that may be related to his service-connected conditions. The RO must seek all relevant records and conduct appropriate development regarding this claim.,Entitlement to specially adapted housing and special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance or being housebound is remanded, as the Veteran has provided evidence of a spine injury and peripheral neuropathy claims that may be related to VA care.

The Veteran's claim to reopen the service connection for diabetes mellitus is granted, and the case is remanded for further development regarding the exposure basis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus type II, left hip condition, left knee condition, neck injury, prostate condition, respiratory condition, and sleep disorder due to incomplete medical records and potential exposure to a nerve agent during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and hypertension disorder (claimed as hypertensive heart disease) due to potential verification of his claimed service in Vietnam and need for further medical opinions.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus and hypertension. The claims for service connection are being returned for further development.

The Board denied service connection for cataracts and diabetes mellitus, finding no current evidence of these conditions or a link to active service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further development and consideration, including the submission of a VA Form 21-8940 to evaluate his disability picture throughout the period on appeal. The RO must consider referral to the Director of Compensation Services for extra-schedular consideration.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for musculoskeletal chest wall pain, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus type II (DM) due to insufficient medical opinions addressing whether these conditions are secondary to his service-connected psychiatric disorder, lumbar and cervical spine disorders, or obesity.

The Board has denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II. The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for CAD and lumbar spine disability are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities was denied due to lack of evidence showing a diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy in any of his four extremities. The new evidence received since the April 2007 rating decision does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, schizophrenia, substance abuse, and major neurocognitive disorder was reopened but denied due to lack of evidence showing a confirmed diagnosis of PTSD and a verified in-service stressor. The new evidence received since the May 2008 rating decision does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is presumed to be due to his exposure to herbicide agents during service near the DMZ in Korea.