Diabetes decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claims for various conditions, including PTSD, were denied effective from the date of receipt of his claim in September 1989. The Board found that an earlier effective date was not warranted due to the finality of the prior decisions and the lack of a valid appeal.

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, type II, heart disabilities (coronary artery disease with coronary artery bypass graft), prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction are granted on a presumptive basis without application of the PACT Act.

The Board has determined that the issues of service connection for obesity, diabetes mellitus type 2, obstructive sleep apnea, arrhythmias, hypertension, venous stasis, erectile dysfunction, and recurrent water blisters need to be remanded as VA examiners have not provided opinions regarding whether these conditions are related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis is granted. The claims for blurred vision, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus are denied.

The Board has remanded the TDIU claim due to a lack of treatment records from Willow Pain and Wellness, which may affect the Veteran's functional impairment assessment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD with emphysema, asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic pneumonia, and diabetes mellitus type 2 is granted. The claims for asthma and chronic respiratory disorder are remanded due to additional evidence received after the March 2020 statement of the case.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for service connection for migraine headaches and diabetes mellitus has been granted. The claim for vision loss is remanded due to the need for a medical opinion regarding its relationship to diabetes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus II, finding no evidence of herbicide exposure and insufficient medical nexus to establish a direct link between his active duty service and the condition.

The Board has determined that new evidence was submitted and must be reviewed by the AOJ before a final decision can be made on your claims for service connection.

The Veteran is entitled to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to January 31, 2020.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to January 28, 2019.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting findings regarding the Veteran's service in Vietnam and his exposure to herbicide agents. The Veteran needs further research to verify his testimony about traveling with the U.S.S. Paul Revere to Cam Ranh Bay and up the Mekong River.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, erectile dysfunction, and bilateral kidney disorder were not incurred in or aggravated by service.,The claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, low back disorder, bilateral knee disorder, bilateral eye disorder, bilateral hip disorder, bilateral foot disorder, residuals of a cold weather injury affecting the bilateral upper and lower extremities, and bilateral hearing loss are REMANDED.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus due to a need for additional medical opinions regarding exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, donor site scar, circumcision due to recurrent balanitis, and left otitis externa. The Veteran's exposure to toxic chemicals during service is being evaluated under the PACT Act.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, erectile dysfunction, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and hypertension as related to presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Thailand prior to August 10, 2022.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU on an extra-schedular basis prior to August 26, 2019, finding that his service-connected diabetes did not prevent him from securing or following any substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational and occupational background.

The Board has vacated the January 2024 decision and granted increased disability ratings for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction (Nehmer Granted), hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and thrombosis. The Veteran also received SMC based on aid and attendance.

The Board dismissed the appeals for diabetes mellitus, type II, emphysema, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, lumbar stenosis and disc herniation with radiculopathy, and PTSD as untimely filed.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus type II and erectile dysfunction secondary to DMII, are granted. However, the claims for cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and headache disability are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.