Diabetes decisions — 2023

The Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus has been granted. The claims for erectile dysfunction and impotence, sleep apnea, renal failure, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding in-service exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the Veteran's eye condition and diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of polyps, heart disability, right eye disability, skin disability, headaches, gastrointestinal disorder, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, and sleep disorder.,There is insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the Veteran's conditions and his period of service.

The Board denied increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease, but granted a 10 percent rating for one chest scar post-CABG surgery from March 7, 2016.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus has been rated at the 20 percent level, which is the maximum rating available under Diagnostic Code 7913.,The Veteran's right lower extremity sciatic diabetic peripheral neuropathy and left lower extremity sciatic diabetic peripheral neuropathy have both been rated at the highest possible 40 percent ratings.

The Board has denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and remanded the issue of ischemic heart disease due to exposure to herbicide agents. The Veteran's claims are not related to toxic exposure risk activities (TERA).

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to a lack of substantial compliance with its previous remand orders. Specifically, the AOJ needs to obtain evidence from the USPS OIG regarding their joint investigation on compensation benefits fraud conducted in 2013.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a heart condition and diabetes mellitus due to herbicide exposure, as they were not adequately addressed in previous decisions.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the cause of death and the aggravation of diabetes mellitus by adenocarcinoma.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is granted as service connected due to herbicide exposure.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of bilateral lower extremities is granted as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.,The Veteran's vision problem (also claimed as eye pressure) is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus type II, and renal disability (chronic renal insufficiency) are all granted as they are presumed to be related to his in-service exposure to herbicides. The effective date is not specified.

The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease, type II diabetes, and bilateral lower extremity diabetic neuropathy are granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his active service in Thailand.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, type II and hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) due to potential herbicide agent exposure during service in Korea. The peripheral neuropathy claims are also remanded as they are inextricably intertwined with the diabetes claims.

The Board has remanded the claim for a new VA medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's causes of death (CAD and DMII) were etiologically related to or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities, including obesity. The examiner must consider whether the Veteran's decreased physical activity affected his obesity.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for diabetes mellitus, type II as it is incomplete due to an inadequate VA examination and new evidence submitted by the Veteran. A new VA examination is needed to determine if DM had its onset in service or is related to service, and whether it was caused or aggravated by HTN.

The Board has granted service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus, finding that the Veteran's obesity in service likely caused his current condition.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral foot disorder, finding no evidence of such condition during or within one year after service. The Veteran's current foot disorders are not related to his military service.,Service connection was also denied for diabetes mellitus, as the Veteran did not have this condition in service and there is no credible evidence linking it to his military service.

The Board has determined that service connection for diabetes mellitus, PTSD, a respiratory disability (shortness of breath), GERD, and hiatal hernia is not warranted.,Further development is needed to determine the Veteran's eligibility for service connection due to exposure to certain toxins or other factors.

The Board has denied service connection for left knee osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, right leg sciatic radiculopathy, and right leg meralgia paresthetica (neurological disability associated with the groin).,There is no evidence of any neurological disability until a March 2007 EMG revealed diagnoses of right leg sciatic radiculopathy at the L5-S1 vertebrae and right leg meralgia paresthetica.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral foot condition, skin condition, diabetes mellitus, and prostate cancer due to insufficient opinions regarding their relationship to service.