Diabetes decisions — 2024

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected type II diabetes mellitus, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient verification of his exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it depends on the outcome of these service connection claims.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to incomplete examinations and oversight in previous evaluations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed due to withdrawal of the diabetes mellitus, umbilical hernia, and right eyelid condition issues. The Veteran's migraine headaches and acquired psychiatric condition (including MDD and PTSD) have been granted.,Issues related to spastic duodenal bulb, asthma, bilateral hips, bilateral feet, hiatal hernia, bilateral knees, skin condition, left finger, bilateral elbows, bilateral hands, malaria symptoms, lazy esophageal sphincter, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, ischemic colitis, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), diverticulitis, low back, and neck conditions have been remanded for further review.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus type II and its associated complications, were granted. The cervical spine disability, bilateral shoulder disabilities, arthritis of the upper and lower extremities, ankle disabilities, obstructive sleep apnea, and hypertension are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The VA determined that there was no current disability of osteosclerosis, and the acquired psychiatric disability (general anxiety disorder) claim was also denied due to lack of a recent diagnosis. For the skin condition, the Veteran received a 10% rating effective February 19, 2020, for monilial dermatitis. The VA denied increased ratings for his diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been granted. The claim for diabetes mellitus is secondary to presumed herbicide exposure in the Republic of Vietnam. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are also granted.

The Board denied service connection for arthritis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, an eye disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder) as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during or were related to service.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2 (DMII), a left eye disability, polyneuropathy of bilateral foot associated with type 2 diabetes, and right foot arthritis. The decision found that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's hearing loss, tinnitus, coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, and diabetic neuropathy right lower extremity are all granted as service connected due to exposure to herbicide agents in Korea.,The Veteran's diabetic neuropathy left lower extremity is also granted as service connected due to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

The Board has granted increased disability evaluations to 40 percent for the right-upper-extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy and 30 percent for the left-upper-extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, effective from January 23, 2018. The claims for increased disability evaluations in excess of 20 percent for both lower extremities have been denied.

The Board partially vacated its decision denying service connection for diabetes mellitus due to the PACT Act, and remanded the issue for a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) examination.

The Board has remanded several issues for additional development, including service connection claims and rating determinations. The Veteran's claims are related to his service-connected conditions and other health issues.

The Veteran's daughter, A.G., is recognized as a helpless child due to her severe medical conditions and cognitive impairments that rendered her incapable of self-support prior to turning 18.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his orthopedic conditions and diabetes mellitus, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and an error in finding that VA satisfied its duty to assist. The Veteran's National Guard military personnel records need to be obtained, as well as updated treatment records from Flowers Hospital. An additional medical opinion is needed regarding secondary service connection.

The Board has decided that the remand for an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea is necessary due to inadequate development and findings in previous opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions including coronary artery disease, anxiety disorder, peripheral neuropathies, diabetes, and tinnitus have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. He is granted a total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for the period of October 5, 2012 through July 12, 2023.

The Veteran's death was not due to his own willful misconduct, and he had a combined 70% service-connected disability rating at the time of his death. However, since none of his service-connected disabilities were rated as totally disabling, the criteria for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 are not met.