Diabetes decisions — 2023

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to readjudicate the claim of service connection for diabetes. The case is being remanded for further action.

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to potential in-service combat-related stressors.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for service connection for diabetes mellitus and sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD. The Board dismissed the appeals.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, prostate cancer, and diabetes mellitus, type II due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is granted as presumptively related to his service in Thailand under the PACT Act, but not otherwise due to lack of direct evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus, type 2 and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, are found to preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation. The appeal for higher initial ratings is remanded due to the need for updated examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, obstructive sleep apnea, and diabetes mellitus type II due to inadequate VA examination opinions. The Veteran should be afforded new examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and a comprehensive examination of his service-connected disabilities' impact on employment. The issue of TDIU will be reconsidered based on all available evidence.

The Board has remanded the following issues for further development: service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (other than PTSD). The Veteran's current diagnoses are being evaluated to determine if they had onset during his periods of active duty or were caused by a service-connected disability.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection related to bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder disorder, diabetes mellitus, type II, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder, and back disorder must be remanded due to inadequate examination findings.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD with unspecified schizophrenia and other psychotic disorder. The appeal for service connection for diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, a liver disorder, tinnitus, hypertension, septal infarct, a left foot disability, and a right foot disability has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II should be remanded due to new evidence being added to the claims file since the last decision.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is now at 100%, making the TDIU claim moot as he already has a single service-connected condition rated at 100%.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in obtaining a VA medical examination and nexus opinion, as well as missing VA treatment records. The Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents is conceded based on his service at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's hyperglycemia is related to his service, including his conceded in-service herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, bilateral eye condition, and acquired psychiatric disorder due to inadequate opinions in previous decisions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, and erectile dysfunction due to incomplete records and inadequate VA examination reports. The Veteran's claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction is being remanded due to outstanding VA records not being associated with the claims file.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence from the USPS OIG regarding a prior investigation into compensation benefits fraud.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's TDIU claims, including a schedular TDIU from August 10, 2022 and an extraschedular TDIU prior to that date. The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for TDIU consideration from August 10, 2022 but not prior to that date.