Diabetes decisions — 2023

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his combined disability rating was not sufficient to meet the criteria for a TDIU based on the severity of his service-connected conditions alone.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an effective date prior to April 7, 2020 for the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2 and related peripheral neuropathies. The effective date was set at April 7, 2020.

The Board has vacated the January 19, 2023 decision and remanded several issues related to effective dates for service connection of diabetes and diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete verification of all periods of active duty, active duty for training, inactive duty for training, or operational support (ADSW and ADOS). The Veteran's representation remains unchanged.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to request verification of exposure to herbicide agents from MRRC, which could affect service connection for diabetes.

The Board has granted the claims for service connection for diabetes, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy based on new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development regarding service connection and rating issues. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy, but the claims for heart disorder, prostate disorder, peripheral neuropathy of upper and lower extremities, and diabetes mellitus are all remanded due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining the curriculum vitae of the VA examiners and issuing a supplemental statement of the case.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2, finding that the Veteran did not have service in Vietnam and there was no evidence of herbicide exposure. The disability is not related to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected knee disabilities and for service connection for diabetes mellitus, heart condition, and stroke residuals are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

Service connection is granted for lumbar spine degenerative disease, hypertension (based on a claim filed in June 2018), left lower extremity neuropathy as secondary to diabetes, and right lower extremity neuropathy as secondary to diabetes.,Service connection is remanded for left hip impairment and right hip impairment due to service-connected musculoskeletal disorders.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, bilateral knee condition (to include arthritis), bilateral hearing loss, and psychiatric condition due to a lack of service records and incomplete information regarding the Veteran's reported stressor.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional evaluations and evidence. The Board will not make a final determination on these issues until further review.

The Board has decided to remand several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected conditions, including a higher rating for lumbar spine degenerative disc/joint disease and claims of service connection for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and sleep apnea. The decision also includes a request for an updated TDIU application.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of diabetes mellitus is remanded due to a duty to assist error. The Board requests a VA medical opinion to determine if the current diagnosis of diabetes mellitus was caused by herbicide agent exposure during service at Anderson AFB in Guam.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is granted on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure in Thailand.,The Veteran's rectal cancer is granted as due to herbicide exposure during service.

The Veteran's right ankle condition is rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran was granted TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the appellant's request for an effective date prior to July 27, 2022 for the grant of service connection for left and right lower extremity diabetic neuropathy. The claim was based on a final denial of his increased rating for service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's hypertension and diabetes mellitus (due to herbicide exposure) were granted initial ratings, with hypertension receiving a non-compensable rating prior to September 7, 2022, and a 10 percent rating from that date. The Veteran's diabetes was granted a 40 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II and associated diabetic polyneuropathies have been granted effective from May 12, 2014.,An initial rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction is denied.