Diabetes decisions — 2024

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities require the need for regular aid and attendance, which has been granted special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance.

The Veteran's heart condition and hypertension were not incurred during active service, nor are they related to his service. The Board denied these claims.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus was also not incurred during active service, nor is it related to his service. The Board denied this claim as well.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is rated at 20 percent, and his bilateral hearing loss is rated at 20 percent. The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of upper left peripheral neuropathy and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's burial transportation expenses are granted as he was buried in a national cemetery and had service-connected disabilities at the time of his death.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2, bilateral lower and upper extremity peripheral neuropathy conditions, and bilateral knee and hip conditions as there was no probative medical evidence linking these disabilities to the Veteran's service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's initial disability evaluation for diabetes mellitus, type II, is denied. Separate compensable evaluations are granted for right-lower-extremity and left-lower-extremity diabetic neuropathy.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus, as it is based on a pre-decisional duty to assist error due to an inadequate November 2023 VA examination. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus may be proximately caused or aggravated by his service-connected sleep apnea and/or chronic low back pain.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date of April 1, 2021 for the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II was granted.,The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, type II was denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and medical opinions regarding his claimed conditions, particularly those related to cardiovascular disorders and skin parasthesia. The PACT Act is also noted as a factor in this decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher than 50 percent rating.,The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that it meets the criteria for a 40 percent rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus is not directly related to service or secondary to his service-connected right hip post traumatic arthritis status post fracture and open reduction disabilities. The case is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding these issues.

The Board has granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and bilateral lower extremity neuropathy of the right and left legs, both found to be due to herbicide exposure during active duty. The Veteran's current diagnoses are presumed based on his service in Vietnam.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of diabetes mellitus, and the Board dismissed the claim as a result.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection and related benefits due to lack of evidence showing the Veteran's conditions arose within one year of his initial claim or prior to the effective date of the previous award.

The Veteran's appeal regarding the reduction of ratings for diabetes mellitus with retinopathy, left and right lower extremity peripheral vascular disease, and right and left lower peripheral neuropathy from 100 percent to 40 percent, as well as the proposal to discontinue SMC at the housebound rate, has been dismissed due to the Veteran's request for withdrawal of these issues.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral upper extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's diabetes was proximately caused or aggravated by his service-connected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). As a result, the claim for service connection for diabetes secondary to OSA is granted.

The Veteran's claim for increased disability ratings and service connection was granted, with a rating of 40 percent for diabetes mellitus with chronic kidney disease. The appellant is eligible to attorney fees in the amount of $1,727.28 from past-due benefits awarded in November 2022.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient development of evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, specifically whether it is caused by his service-connected Type II diabetes mellitus and PTSD.