Diabetes decisions — 2024

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus (DM2) as there is no evidence that it was incurred in or caused by his military service, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board denied the claim for a separate, compensable disability rating for hypertension as secondary to service-connected diabetes because the Veteran's diastolic blood pressure was not predominantly at 100 or more and his systolic pressure was not predominantly at 160 or more during the appeal period.

The Veteran's service connection claim for Type II diabetes mellitus is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his service in the Republic of Vietnam.

The Board has dismissed all claims for service connection and a compensable rating for various conditions due to the appellant's death during the appeal process.

The Veteran's appeal for a TDIU is dismissed. The Board has also remanded the issue of an earlier effective date for service connection due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death, finding that there was no evidence to support exposure to herbicide agents during service and thus denying service connection on a presumptive basis. The Board also found insufficient evidence to establish direct or secondary service connection for any conditions contributing to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for angle-closure glaucoma as secondary to diabetes mellitus type II was dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II is denied, while his claim for service connection for hypothyroidism disability to include hypothyroidism is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, chloracne, and soft tissue carcinoma are all granted as they are presumed to be related to herbicide agent exposure during his active duty.

The Board has dismissed all the issues related to service connection and increased disability ratings due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for kidney stones, including residual(s) of kidney stones, was not reopened due to lack of new and relevant evidence.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension was not reopened due to lack of new and relevant evidence.,The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of VA-recognized hearing loss during the pendency of the claim.,The Veteran's claim for type II diabetes mellitus was denied as there is no evidence that it began during service or is related to an in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran's claim for PTSD was denied as there is no evidence of a current psychiatric disability at any time during or approximate to the pendency of the claim.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus and his TDIU claim have both been denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a disability rating higher than 20 percent for diabetes, as he did not require regulation of activities. For TDIU, the evidence showed that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have met the schedular requirements but do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II as secondary to his already service-connected disabilities, including sleep apnea, PTSD, and pes planus.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of clarity regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities cause the functional equivalent of loss of use of his feet. The Veteran needs an examination to determine this.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and a back condition due to errors in obtaining relevant medical records and service treatment records. The Veteran's periods of active duty, ADT, IDT, and Reserve service need to be confirmed.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, heart condition, DMII, nephropathy, prostate cancer, skin cancer, gallbladder condition, arthritis, and hypertension are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board has denied service connection for PTSD and increased rating for diabetes mellitus type II and erectile dysfunction (diabetes), but has remanded the claim of service connection for tinnitus due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for diabetes was denied as the June 2013 rating decision became final and the current claim was filed within one year following the enactment of a liberalizing law (PACT Act). The appropriate effective date is August 10, 2022.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings were dismissed due to his death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims as he died during the appeal process.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for bilateral lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy are denied as there was no prior claim filed before September 12, 2022.