Diabetes decisions — 2022

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II and diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy are found to have had their onset during active military service. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for a seizure disorder, as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the seizures can be considered 'diabetic seizures' and if they are aggravated by the diabetes.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension is secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for tendonitis in multiple upper and lower extremities have been dismissed.,Service connection has been granted for diabetes mellitus type II, with a presumption based on herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations related to diabetes mellitus and sleep apnea are inadequate, as they did not provide sufficient rationale or address both causation and aggravation. The claims for service connection are therefore remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes have been granted. Hypertension is related to herbicide exposure, while diabetes is presumed due to Vietnam service.

The Board has dismissed the issue of service connection for bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy due to withdrawal by the Veteran. The initial rating for diabetes mellitus, type II is granted at 40 percent. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding hypertension.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal regarding the issue of service connection for diabetes mellitus. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Board has found that additional evidence is needed to determine if new and material evidence has been received for several service connection claims, including sleep apnea, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 2, left leg injury residuals, bilateral knee arthritis, left thigh numbness (secondary to lumbar strain), gout, depression, and high cholesterol. The Veteran's SSA records are requested as they may be relevant.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and a disability manifested by chronic pain. The evidence does not support an in-service incident or injury that could link these conditions to active duty.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further action due to incomplete records and need for a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further consideration, including referral to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for extraschedular TDIU evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding service connection for diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's TCE and cold exposure are conceded, but further examination is needed to determine if these exposures caused or aggravated the condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to January 1, 2020. From January 1, 2020 onwards, the evidence shows that his disabilities preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II due to the need for a new examination and development of his in-service exposure claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities are granted as these conditions are presumed to be related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents.,Service connection is also granted for ischemic heart disease, but only if it can be attributed to active service or any incident of service. The Veteran's current heart condition does not meet this criterion.

The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating and combined disability evaluation have been dismissed as he requested the appeal to be dismissed in his January 2022 letter.

The Board has determined that more development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including gastrointestinal disorders, sinusitis, diabetes mellitus, low back disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder. The issues are being remanded to ensure compliance with previous Board instructions.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he requested withdrawal of the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and a compensable disability rating prior to February 25, 2021, and to a disability rating greater than 30 percent thereafter, for residuals of a left tibia fracture.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is not related to active service.