Diabetes decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the claims for right and left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy due to outstanding treatment records from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, including Fort Belvoir Community Hospital (now Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center), and any relevant Fort Jackson treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and myocardial infarction atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, bradycardia, cardiomyopathy and coronary artery bypass graft prior to August 10, 2022. The TDIU claim is being remanded for further action.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an effective date prior to May 16, 2006, for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) and eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA). The issues are inextricably intertwined as the TDIU claim is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA opinions and a need for further development, including obtaining a new medical opinion regarding the Veteran's sleep apnea.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for hypertension and PTSD, but has remanded all issues related to these conditions due to insufficient evidence. The claim for diabetes mellitus is also being remanded.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and a heart disorder, both claimed as due to herbicide exposure during service in Korea. The evidence did not support the Veteran's claim of exposure to herbicides near the Korean DMZ.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer, type 2 diabetes, and kidney disease have been granted with effective dates of April 23, 2018. The effective date for the award of service connection is based on the PACT Act presumption of herbicide exposure in Thailand.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for further development due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error in not attempting to obtain the Veteran's Social Security Administration (SSA) records, which may be relevant to assessing his disability severity.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and inadequate examination reports.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to inadequate VA opinions and the need for additional evidence. The issues of entitlement to service connection for various conditions, including left knee osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus, right knee disability, insomnia, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder), spinal stenosis, and obstructive sleep apnea are being remanded.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all the listed conditions, claiming exposure to burn pits as the basis. The Board dismissed the appeal due to the withdrawal.

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, rectal cancer, and hypothyroidism are all granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his service on the U.S.S. Preble in Vietnam.

The Veteran's diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities has been granted a disability rating of 40 percent for the period from January 24, 2019 to April 5, 2022.

The Board has granted service connection for non-hodgkin lymphoma, type II diabetes mellitus, and ischemic heart disease due to presumed exposure to herbicides during service in the Republic of Vietnam.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for Crohn's disease, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction secondary to prostate cancer, and type II diabetes mellitus have been granted. The claim for increased rating for hemorrhoids prior to February 16, 2012 and in excess of 20 percent thereafter is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and maintaining substantial gainful employment, thus denying his claim for total disability rating due to individual unemployability for accrued benefits purposes.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal. The Board also remanded issues regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, upper and lower extremities.

The Veteran's Parkinson's disease, diabetes mellitus, type II, and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are granted as due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents in service.,Heart disorder (to include cardiomyopathy) and eye disorder (to include dry eyes and macular degeneration) issues are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has denied a separate compensable rating for diabetic retinopathy and remanded the issue of a separate compensable rating for diabetic nephropathy. The Veteran is not entitled to a compensable rating for diabetic retinopathy, as his visual acuity is rated as noncompensable under the applicable rating criteria.

The Veteran's diabetic nephropathy was granted an effective date of October 17, 2007. From November 12, 2014 to November 22, 2020, the Veteran received a 100% rating for his coronary artery disease (CAD).,From November 12, 2014 to November 22, 2020, the Veteran was also granted special monthly compensation at the housebound rate.