Diabetes decisions — 2023

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability alone did not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment. The Board found that the unemployability is caused by nonservice-connected disabilities such as diabetes, which rendered the Veteran unable to work.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, headaches, and an eye disorder as they are not related to the Veteran's active service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and increased rating for diabetes mellitus, as well as the TDIU claim. The issues are related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations. The issues of fibromyalgia, cervical spine disability, diabetes mellitus, low testosterone level, hypertension, and GERD will be addressed.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions for the service connection claims are inadequate, requiring further remand to obtain additional medical evidence and opinions.

The Board denied service connection for left wrist degenerative joint disease, diabetes mellitus type II, and right eye disability. The Veteran's claims were remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and bladder cancer are granted due to herbicide exposure. The claim for bladder cancer is remanded as the exact training dates at Camp Lejeune and Camp Geiger need to be verified.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection for various conditions have been denied. The maximum schedular rating of 10 percent has been granted for the right index finger disability, but no higher rating is warranted due to lack of ankylosis or functional impairment equivalent to amputation. Service connection was not established for any of the claimed disabilities.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, type II and related secondary conditions due to issues arising from the PACT Act development. The other service connection claims are also being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development regarding herbicide exposure and the relationship between service-connected conditions and death. Additional development is needed, including obtaining an addendum VA opinion.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right and left elbow disabilities, diabetes mellitus, voiding dysfunction, an upper arm abscess, low back disability, right-sided sciatica, and left-sided sciatica. The only condition granted was dementia.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, diabetes, neuropathy of the extremities, headaches, and a knee disorder as there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims of exposure to Vietnam or combat stressors.,There was also insufficient medical evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder, not otherwise specified, was rated at 30 percent and did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities that resulted in an overall combined rating of 80 percent. However, he was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, type 2, chronic kidney disease, liver disability, and hypertension due to asbestos exposure during service. VA is required to provide examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these disabilities.

The Veteran's previously denied claim for service connection of headaches has been reopened. Service connection for DMII is granted due to herbicide exposure during service. The issue of service connection for ED as secondary to DMII and allergic rhinitis remains remanded for further evaluation.

The Board granted the Veteran's claims for TDIU and Dependents' Educational Assistance with effective dates of October 22, 2010. The decision was based on the Veteran's marginal employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Veteran should be provided with a new VA medical opinion addressing causation and aggravation.

The Board dismissed the appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected left lower extremity median nerve diabetic neuropathy. The Veteran's femoral nerve neuropathy was denied prior to May 4, 2021, and denied on and after that date.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and hypertension as due to exposure to herbicide agents during active service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and Diabetes Mellitus do not render him unemployable at any point during the period on appeal, either on a schedular or extraschedular basis.