Diabetes decisions — 2022

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for a bilateral eye disorder, including red eyes, defective vision, and diabetic retinopathy. The January 2015 rating decision found that the vision impairment during service was due to a congenital or developmental defect (refractive error) and did not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service connected. Prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus type 2 are denied as not related to service or herbicide exposure. The left shoulder disability and sleep apnea remain under consideration.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of tuberculosis has been denied.,Service connection is granted for diabetes mellitus, with associated peripheral neuropathy affecting the bilateral lower and upper extremities.,Left and right foot disabilities are remanded for further evaluation.,Peripheral neuropathy claims remain pending.,No specific exposure basis was provided in this decision.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient clarification of medical opinions and need for additional records.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to address his claims of increased ratings and TDIU, as well as a claim under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for left shoulder surgery.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for diabetic nephropathy was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher than 80% disability rating from January 31, 2014, to June 19, 2017, and denied his request for a 100% disability rating thereafter.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathies of the upper and lower extremities, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's heart disability, prostate cancer, diabetes, bilateral upper and lower extremity neuropathy, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are not service-connected due to lack of evidence showing they were incurred or aggravated by his military service.,Specifically, the Board found insufficient evidence to support a finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his time in Thailand. The Veteran's service records do not indicate he had any ongoing problems with these conditions while in service and there is no other competent medical evidence suggesting an association to service.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for removal of left testicle due to in-service injury. Service connection is granted for this condition. The claims of entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy are remanded as they are inextricably intertwined with the determination regarding the removal of left testicle.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, as there is insufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that he is unemployable because of his service-connected disabilities. The case will be referred to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for TBI and facial burn scars have been denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy and diabetes, and for service connection for a headache condition and eye disability are remanded for further development.

The Board granted service connection for PTSD and assigned effective dates of July 18, 2013, for both Type II diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, type II, due to herbicide agent exposure during service.

The Veteran's cause of death is granted due to his exposure to herbicide agents during service, which presumed him exposed to Agent Orange. His diabetes mellitus, a condition associated with such exposure, contributed substantially or materially to his untimely death.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding no evidence to support a nexus between his respiratory disorder, diabetes, and hypertension and service. The appellant was not competent to attribute these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence.,Service connection is granted for DMII, but other issues remain pending as they are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, lumbar spine disability, BUE and BLE peripheral neuropathy due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (Type II diabetes mellitus, diabetic cataracts, right lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy) did not render him unemployable prior to July 26, 2010. Therefore, the claim for TDIU prior to that date is denied.