Diabetes decisions — 2023

The Board denied service connection for prostate cancer, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus type II as there was no evidence of exposure to herbicide agents during service or a causal link between the conditions and service.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (schizoaffective disorder) and remanded the issues of service connection for degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine; bilateral arthralgias of the heels and ankles; and diabetes mellitus type II.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the current issues on the appeal, including entitlement to increased ratings for diabetic neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities affecting the sciatic and femoral nerves.

Service connection for tinnitus, back impairment, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left knee impairment, and right knee impairment has been granted.,Service connection for diabetes and heart impairment has also been granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of unit records and morning reports, which could provide more detail about the Veteran's exposure to herbicides. The Veteran served in Korea from May 1967 to June 1968.

The Veteran's OSA is granted as secondary to his service-connected musculoskeletal disorders and hypothyroidism, with obesity as an intermediate step.,The Veteran's urological disorder is granted based on the nexus between his service-connected diabetes mellitus and acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for kidney disease with renal insufficiency and a rating in excess of 20 percent for type 2 diabetes mellitus is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and medical opinions.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for increased disability ratings for diabetes mellitus II and residuals of a right wrist fracture, resulting in the dismissal of these claims.

The Veteran's appeals for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for adjustment disorder with depressed mood and service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of these appeals.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted a TDIU. The issues of increased ratings for diabetes mellitus Type II and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities are dismissed.

The Veteran's combined service-connected rating is at least 40 percent, effective March 29, 2016. The Board finds that the Veteran meets the schedular criteria for consideration of TDIU and has been found to be unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities since March 5, 2018.

The Veteran's diabetes is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating as his diabetes does not require regulation of activities to avoid hypoglycemic episodes.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II claim was also denied because the evidence did not show that it required regulation of activities (avoidance of strenuous occupational and recreational activities).

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus is granted, effective December 29, 2006, due to a clear and unmistakable error in the June 2007 rating decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, right shoulder osteoarthritis, left shoulder degenerative arthritis (status-post rotator cuff repair), diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. The Board found that there was no evidence of in-service injury or illness related to these conditions.,The March 2023 VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder, right shoulder osteoarthritis, left shoulder degenerative arthritis (status-post rotator cuff repair), diabetes mellitus, and hypertension are not likely related to his active service.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and kidney disorder, to include kidney stones, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities. Bilateral upper extremity and lower extremity diabetic neuropathy have also been granted as secondary to his now service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, COPD, joint pains, right arm ulnar nerve entrapment, and left lower extremity radiculopathy were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service onset or relationship to service.,Service connection was granted for COPD due to exposure to burn pits during service in the Gulf War.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus and acquired pes cavus were granted a 50 percent rating effective April 28, 2017. The claims for service connection for tinnitus, headaches, diabetes mellitus type II, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, hypertension, sleep disability, vision loss, and right shoulder disability are all remanded.

The Board has dismissed all the issues in your appeal, including increased ratings for diabetes and peripheral neuropathy, SMC based on aid and attendance, service connection claims for various conditions, due to your withdrawal of the appeals.