Diabetes decisions — 2023

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and his claims for accrued benefits were not filed within one year of his death. The causes of the Veteran's death (cardiorespiratory arrest, end stage chronic obstructive lung disease, and coronary artery disease) are not related to service.

The appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to the appellant's death.

The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension. The Veteran is also entitled to SMC based on the need for aid and attendance.,An effective date prior to May 6, 2019, for the award of SMC based on the need for aid and attendance remains pending.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of service connection for type II diabetes mellitus.,For the denial, the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss as defined by VA standards.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records, examinations, and opinions.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including GI disorder, DM, heart disorder, back disorder, kidney disorder, RUE neuropathy, LUE neuropathy, RLE neuropathy, and LLE neuropathy. The Veteran's symptoms were not found to be related to his military service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's fatty liver disease, GERD, respiratory disorder (COPD and pulmonary nodules), peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and PTSD are not service-connected.,Service connection for allergic rhinitis and sinusitis is remanded.,The Veteran's TDIU prior to July 11, 2015, is denied.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus and associated diabetic neuropathies are rated at 20 percent or less, and the Board has determined that additional examinations are needed to determine if higher ratings are warranted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and diabetic neuropathy of the bilateral sciatic nerves were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not warrant higher ratings for these conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder precludes him from obtaining and maintaining substantial gainful employment, leading to a TDIU effective April 20, 2017.,SMC at the 's' rate is granted due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities combining to 60 percent.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, with diabetic retinopathy and erectile dysfunction is rated at 60 percent. Separate compensable ratings for erectile dysfunction are not warranted. Increased ratings for right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral vascular disease, left lower extremity peripheral vascular disease, right leg below the knee amputation (BKA), and peripheral neuropathy of both sciatic nerves are denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU as his service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular criteria and there is insufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that he was unemployable due to these conditions. The decision also notes that the Veteran does not have any physical limitations preventing him from working.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation since October 27, 2009. The Board has granted TDIU on an extraschedular basis as of that date.

The Board has decided that the spine condition should be reviewed again because new evidence was added to your case file. You will need to provide more information about this issue.

The Board denied service connection for prostate condition, diabetes mellitus type II, and neuropathy of the lower extremities due to lack of evidence supporting exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for several issues, including those related to right knee and ankle osteoarthritis, shoulder osteoarthritis with impingement, diabetes mellitus, unspecified depressive disorder, rheumatoid arthritis of the left knee, and rheumatoid arthritis of the right knee.,The Board also remanded two issues: entitlement to a rating in excess of 30 percent for total right knee replacement from April 1, 2017, and service connection for a right hip disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart condition and diabetes mellitus II due to herbicide agent exposure are being remanded as the dates of exposure need further clarification.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, finding that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure and that the disease did not manifest during or within one year after service. The Board also found that the Veteran had not provided credible evidence to support his assertion of in-service herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 60 percent for his service-connected diabetes mellitus, finding that it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on hospitalizations or complications.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim has been denied as the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent has already been granted.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was not established due to lack of evidence showing a current disability within one year after service.