Diabetes decisions — 2023

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, finding no current diagnosis of the condition and thus concluding that there is not a causal relationship to service.

The Board has vacated its previous decision and remanded the cases for further development due to failure to comply with prior remand orders.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his exposure to herbicide agents, including Agent Orange. The claims are being reviewed again to determine if there is sufficient evidence of in-service exposure and causation.

The Board has denied service connection for a thyroid condition due to lack of evidence showing its onset in service or related to any incident therein, including exposure to ionizing radiation.,The Board has also remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for type II diabetes mellitus due to insufficient rationale provided by the November 2022 VA examiner regarding the Veteran's episodes of hypoglycemia documented in his STRs.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, finding that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the current condition and service.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient evidence regarding the appellant's exposure to herbicide agents, asbestos, or PCBs during service. The issues of entitlement to service connection for various disabilities are inextricably intertwined with the issue of exposure.

The Board has remanded multiple issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to insufficient medical opinions and need for additional development. The main issues are hypertension, a skin condition of the feet, type II diabetes mellitus, vision conditions, erectile dysfunction, nephropathy, headaches/eye discomfort, and sleep disorders.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for hypertension, pancreatitis, diabetes mellitus, seizures, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) due to incomplete service treatment records. The Veteran's stressor information needs to be clarified.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been reopened and granted.,The appeal seeking service connection for tinnitus is dismissed as it was fully granted in a separate rating decision.

The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus is granted as service-connected due to herbicide exposure.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities is granted as service-connected due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's hypertension was granted service connection. The issues of diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, cornea scar, and left ankle disability are remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that new evidence has been added to the record since the last rating decisions and must be considered in deciding the increased ratings for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, and TDIU issues. The claims are being remanded to allow for this consideration.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II and ischemic heart disease are granted service connection due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his active duty in Thailand and Guam, as provided by the PACT Act.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted. The claims for hypertension and diabetes mellitus are remanded.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the inextricability of this appeal with a separate appeal regarding severance claims. The TDIU appeal will be deferred until the adjudication of the severance claims.

Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and hypertension has been granted due to the PACT Act of 2022.,The lower back disability claim is being reconsidered as new STRs have been associated with the Veteran's file.

The Veteran's Graves' disease, right knee disability, left knee disability secondary to thyroid disorder, avitaminosis disorder (vitamin D deficiency), hypertension, and arthritis are all granted as service-connected. The Board found reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran regarding these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, OSA, and left CTS on a secondary basis due to the Veteran's service-connected conditions.,The evidence is in approximate balance as to whether the Veteran's service-connected diabetes is proximately causing his left upper extremity CTS.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, as it is unclear whether the Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II caused or aggravated his sleep apnea. The examiner must provide an opinion on this issue.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the need for additional records from Social Security Administration (SSA). The appellant is the surviving spouse of the Veteran who served in active military from October 1962 to December 1964.