Diabetes decisions — 2022

The Veteran is granted service connection for prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, and bladder cancer due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his military service.,The Veteran's cause of death was also found to be related to his service-connected prostate cancer.

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, type II and diabetic retinopathy have been denied as there is no evidence of a nexus to service or presumptive exposure. The Board finds the Veteran's assertions regarding his in-service onset are not credible given the lack of contemporaneous medical records.,Service connection has also been denied for neurological disorders of the lower extremities, with the Board finding that the Veteran did not have such conditions during service and there is no evidence linking them to service or presumptive exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension on a secondary basis to diabetes mellitus, type II. The decision is based on the presumption of herbicide exposure due to service in Vietnam and the Veteran's history of both conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus, type II was withdrawn by his authorized representative before the Board could make a decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities because he failed to provide necessary information and evidence, and there is no evidence showing that his service-connected conditions alone preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service connection claims for Female Sexual Arousal Disorder and Tinea Pedis are denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.,The Veteran's service connection claim for Recurrent Tinnitus is granted based on her credible testimony about the onset and continuity of symptoms. The Board finds that she has competent, credible testimony regarding tinnitus.,The Veteran's service connection claims for Anemia, Hypertension, Type 2 Diabetes, Right Knee Disability, Left Knee Disability, Right Extremity Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Left Extremity Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and Right Foot Plantar Fasciitis are denied as there is no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after service. The Board also finds that the Veteran did not have a knee condition, carpal tunnel syndrome, or plantar fasciitis in service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for Insomnia was referred back to the Regional Office for appropriate development and adjudication.

Service connection is granted for diabetes mellitus, type II and coronary artery disease. Service connection is also granted for chronic kidney disease, right eye diabetic retinopathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy as secondary to service-connected diabetes. Service connection is granted for congestive heart failure as secondary to coronary artery disease. The case is remanded for additional opinions on toxic optic neuropathy with altitudinal visual field defect and a heart disorder other than coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU and DEA benefits was denied as the earliest discernible communication that constitutes a TDIU claim did not arise until November 6, 2017.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating and earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus, Type II with ED was denied. The Veteran is currently rated at 40 percent for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation from February 20, 2013, to October 16, 2018.

The Veteran's service connection claims for DM2 and CAD are granted. The Board also finds that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents in Thailand, which is sufficient to grant service connection for his peripheral neuropathy conditions and kidney disorder as secondary to his now-service-connected DM2.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction with penile deformity are both rated separately. The Board has granted a separate 20 percent rating for the erectile dysfunction, effective August 19, 2019.

The Veteran's claims for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to his death during the appeal process.

The Veteran's cause of death was due to ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, ischemic cardiomyopathy, type II diabetes mellitus, and end-stage renal disease. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to military service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for coronary artery disease, diabetes, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy have been denied as his conditions do not meet the criteria for higher ratings under VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease, bilateral upper and lower extremity neuropathy, diabetes mellitus type II, and hearing loss, have rendered him unable to engage in substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether his service-connected conditions preclude him from working.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to hypertension, which is presumed related to herbicide exposure under the PACT Act. The Board also found that hypertension likely contributed to the Veteran's decline and death.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding service connection for renal dysfunction.,Prior to March 10, 2022, the Veteran's sciatic diabetic peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities was evaluated at a 10 percent rating. From March 10, 2022 to June 10, 2022, his sciatic diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity (RLE) and femoral diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity were both rated at a 20 percent disability rating.

The Board has decided the appeal is remanded to obtain a new secondary service connection opinion regarding the Veteran's claim for chronic kidney disease, which is claimed as being related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development regarding the Veteran's claimed herbicide exposure during his service in Okinawa, specifically related to diabetes mellitus type II and angiosarcoma.