Diabetes decisions — 2022

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for effective dates earlier than July 26, 2016, for service connection of symmetric diabetic peripheral neuropathy in both lower extremities.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hypertension and diabetes mellitus, type II have been granted due to the PACT Act. The claim for a back disability (claimed as a laminectomy) is denied. The TDIU claim is also denied.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is granted as presumptively related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Veteran's service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and its associated diabetic peripheral neuropathy in the right and left lower extremities is granted. The decision also grants service connection for these conditions on a secondary basis due to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and its associated diabetic peripheral neuropathy in the right and left lower extremities is granted. The decision also grants service connection for these conditions on a secondary basis due to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for renal failure as secondary to diabetes mellitus, finding that there is no evidence showing a direct relationship between the two conditions.

The Veteran's bladder cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy as secondary to diabetes mellitus type II are all granted service connection due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service in the Republic of Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating increases due to insufficient evidence regarding his exposure to contaminants at Parris Island during active service. A new examination is needed to assess the severity of his knee disabilities, and efforts must be made to obtain private treatment records from an endocrinologist.

The Veteran is found to be unemployable due to his service-connected Ischemic Heart Disease and Diabetic Neuropathy, which combine to meet the criteria for a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy and diabetes mellitus, type 2, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to July 19, 2017. The Board granted TDIU for this period.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inconsistencies in the previous examination and remand instructions.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including OSA, Type II Diabetes Mellitus, Gulf War Syndrome, gastrointestinal disorder, skin disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability. The decision found that the evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed exposure to herbicides in Okinawa, Japan. The claim will be reviewed again with additional development.

The Board has remanded the cases due to the need for further development regarding employment accommodations and their impact on the Veteran's ability to work. The issues of higher rating for type II diabetes mellitus and TDIU are being reconsidered.

The Board has remanded several claims due to the need for updated VA examinations. The Veteran was last examined in December 2015, and there is evidence of worsening since then.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural issues, including not addressing VA's duty to assist and concerns about the adequacy of the October 2019 VA examination. The Veteran needs to provide records from a hospital in Colorado Springs and a new endocrinologist opinion is needed.

The Veteran's OSA is granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The Board finds that the evidence is evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's other conditions are related to service, and thus grants them based on this finding.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, ED, right knee disability, neck disability, upper back disability, and low back disability due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding in-service exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation since July 1, 2020.,The Veteran submitted VA Form 21-526 for increased evaluation of heart disease, diabetes, prostate cancer residuals, and varicose veins on May 1, 2020.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment, and his TDIU claim is denied.