Diabetes decisions — 2023

The Board has ordered an additional medical opinion to address whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is caused or aggravated by his service-connected conditions, including diabetes, radiculopathy and CAD. The opinion must also consider if obesity played a role in causing or aggravating the condition.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension due to inadequate medical opinions provided by the VA examiner.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for clarification on whether the Veteran's need for A&A is related to his service-connected disabilities, other than blindness.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including left wrist disability and diabetes, rendered him incapable of securing or following a substantially gainful occupation as of September 7, 2021. The Board granted an effective date of September 7, 2021, for TDIU and DEA benefits.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error, specifically failing to provide the Veteran with notice of his right to a hearing conducted by AOJ personnel. The Veteran must be provided such notice and scheduled for a hearing if he chooses.

The Veteran's hypertension and erectile dysfunction claims have been denied. The effective date for SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ is denied.,An initial compensable rating for hypertension has not been met due to lack of diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more, or systolic pressure predominantly 160 or more.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral pes planus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors.

The Board has found the record inadequate to properly rate the severity of the Veteran's disabilities, particularly diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy. The Board is remanding these matters for further evaluation by VA examiners.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes, and hypertension due to deficiencies in the medical opinions provided by the February 2020 VA examiner. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete information and further development is needed, particularly regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities require care or assistance on a regular basis to protect him from hazards or dangers incident to his daily environment.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to August 5, 2017.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for respiratory disorder, heart disorder, hypertension, and DMII due to outstanding VA and private treatment records needing development. Additionally, a new VA medical opinion is needed to address whether these conditions are related to his in-service exposure to asbestos.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and inadequate medical opinions regarding the cause of death. The appellant is seeking service connection for the cause of her husband's death, which includes esophageal cancer, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death due to or as a consequence of diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, finding that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and insufficient direct medical nexus.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for sleep apnea and diabetes mellitus, type 2 due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their relationship to service-connected disabilities or medications.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and review due to errors in considering direct and indirect complications of the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension, including chronic kidney disease, syncope, cataracts, urinary tract infection, bilateral cramps in the lower extremities, and tinea cruris.

The Board has dismissed the appeals seeking service connection for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, type II, right lower leg numbness and stiffness, and left lower leg numbness and stiffness as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to the promulgation of a decision.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's diabetes and its complications, as well as his hypertension and hypothyroidism. The claims for service connection are being addressed due to new evidence received since the last denial.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus type II, migraine headache disability, vision disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability due to incomplete records and lack of substantial compliance with prior remand directives.

The Board has remanded the claims for left and right lower extremity diabetic neuropathy due to unclear diagnosis, and for left and right upper extremity diabetic neuropathy due to inadequate opinion. The Veteran's nerve disabilities are related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.