Diabetes decisions — 2023

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the threshold requirements for VR&E services as he has successfully maintained self-employment and does not have an employment handicap.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus type II and hypothyroidism due to a failure to seek certain medical records from VA and private providers.

The Board has remanded the TDIU claim due to insufficient and conflicting information about the Veteran's vending business, which was not fully developed. The Veteran is required to provide updated evidence regarding his role in the vending company and its impact on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension as there was no evidence of herbicide agent exposure during service. The Veteran's service records did not show he served within 12 nautical miles offshore of Vietnam or Guam, and the VA classified special operations logs provided insufficient evidence to establish exposure.

The appeal for service connection of chronic fatigue syndrome is dismissed. Service connection for a blood disorder, cardiovascular disorders, and diabetes mellitus are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete development and failure to address certain theories of entitlement. The AOJ is required to obtain relevant hospitalization records from 1985 and assess the Veteran's exposure to asbestos during his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD, but has remanded his claim for service connection for diabetes, which is related to PTSD.,The decision on appeal only addresses one of the two issues raised by the Veteran.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine disability, left shoulder disability, and diabetes mellitus, type II.,The evidence supports the Veteran's claims that his current disabilities are related to his active-duty service.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for a sinus disability, diabetes, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The cases are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, bladder cancer, and prostate cancer prior to August 10, 2022 on the basis of direct herbicide exposure. The evidence did not support such a finding.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need to verify in-service stressors and determine if the Veteran served in Vietnam or other locations where herbicide exposure is presumed.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous remand directives and a need for further medical examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction due to conflicting VA records regarding herbicide exposure during service. The Veteran's claim will be further developed to clarify his exposure history.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's claimed conditions and her military service, including exposure at Fort McClellan. The examiner is requested to provide an opinion on whether each condition had its onset in service or is related to such exposure.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea. The claims are being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has found that additional relevant evidence has been added to the claims file and has remanded the case for readjudication by the RO.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death due to diabetes mellitus, type II, being a contributory cause of his death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are granted as presumptively related to presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Guam, effective October 1, 2022.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is granted as presumptively related to his service in Thailand due to herbicide exposure, and the effective date of this decision is August 10, 2022.

The Veteran's eye conditions, including diabetic retinopathy and other related conditions like bilateral end stage glaucoma, bilateral optic nerve atrophy, right nuclear cataract, and left pseudophakia, are being remanded for further evaluation due to a duty-to-assist error.