Diabetes decisions — 2022

The Veteran's left eye disability is not service connected, and the VA procedure for cataract surgery did not cause or worsen his blindness.

Service connection for glaucoma is dismissed. Service connection for depression, sleep apnea, low back disorder, diabetes mellitus, and heart disease (claimed as ischemic heart disease and coronary artery disease) are granted on the merits.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral eye disability and diabetes mellitus, type II due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the Veteran's service connection claims. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's service connection claims for prostate cancer, diabetes, and hypertension have been granted. However, the claim for hypertension remains pending as it has been remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and granted. The Board found new and material evidence to support the reopening of these claims.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to the need to verify the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents, specifically Agent Orange.

The Board has remanded the case due to lack of verification of the Veteran's foreign service. The Veteran claims Type II diabetes mellitus is related to herbicide exposure, but his service was not verified as being in Thailand.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease and coronary artery bypass graft residuals rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment from August 31, 2011, to May 23, 2016. The Board granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis for this period.

The Board dismissed the appeals for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and bilateral cataracts, diabetic retinopathy with macular edema, and hypertensive retinopathy (claimed as issues with vision) due to the death of the appellant.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, finding that the Veteran's current condition did not have its inception during active duty or manifest to a compensable degree within one year of separation from active duty. The Board also found no causal relationship between the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and his diabetes.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication, including issuance of a Statement of the Case (SSOC) to ensure all benefits are properly certified.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes, hypertension, disability of the back, left knee disability, and right knee disability to obtain additional medical opinions regarding whether these conditions are secondary to his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Board has also remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus and hypertension, as well as the increased rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection and secondary service connection for diabetes mellitus type II (DM II) due to coronary artery disease (CAD). The June 2022 VA medical opinion is inadequate, as it does not address the in-service blood sugar finding of 142.2 mg/dl or provide a rationale regarding whether CAD causes or aggravates DM II.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, was not shown as chronic in service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period. The disability is not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the right hand (major) is granted a 30 percent disability rating effective June 7, 2013.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected diabetes mellitus was denied.

The Veteran's claim for financial assistance due to service-connected disabilities resulting in loss or use of feet is being remanded for a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected conditions contributed to his cause of death. The appellant must provide an opinion on this matter.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes and chronic kidney disease, as well as his claim for an earlier effective date for service connection. The Veteran is to be scheduled for VA examinations to assess the current severity of his disabilities, and all relevant medical records are to be obtained.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for diabetes due to a lack of substantial compliance with its previous directives.