Diabetes decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for stroke, diabetes mellitus type II, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and fibromyalgia as secondary to PTSD with mood disorder due to insufficient examination findings and failure to consider obesity as an intermediate step in causation.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder strain, finding that the Veteran's injury during basic training is related to his current condition.,Service connection was denied for diabetes mellitus due to insufficient evidence linking in-service stomach issues to the development of the disability.

The Veteran's appeals regarding various disabilities were dismissed due to his death while the appeal was pending.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II due to conflicting opinions on whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated his obesity, which in turn caused his diabetes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II on a direct basis due to lack of evidence of herbicide exposure. The Veteran was granted presumptive service connection under the PACT Act.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, which he asserts is due to herbicide agent exposure in Okinawa, was denied as there was no credible evidence of such exposure and the disease did not manifest within a year of his discharge.

The Veteran's service connection claim for DMII was granted effective April 11, 2020. The initial evaluations for lumbosacral strain and left knee pain were denied. The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy disabilities are rated at 20 percent each since April 24, 2021.

The appeal for TDIU from August 1, 2019 is dismissed. The appeal for SMC at the housebound rate from August 2, 2019 to October 7, 2021 is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to conflicting evidence regarding exposure to tactical herbicide agents. The Board will conduct further development to determine the Veteran's service aboard ships and any potential exposure.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 100 percent, but he does not have a single disability rated at 100 percent. The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone do not result in the need for aid and attendance.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected knee and back disabilities cause or aggravate his diabetes. The case will be returned for further evaluation.

The reduction of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability rating from 20 percent to 10 percent, effective December 15, 2021, was improper and restoration of the 20 percent rating is granted. The claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, IBS, and left hip disabilities are remanded.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction were not incurred or aggravated during service. The Board denied these claims as the evidence did not show that any of these conditions manifested in service or within one year following separation.,Service connection was also denied for prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and diabetes-related neuropathies, rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board granted TDIU for the period prior to August 30, 2022, and Special Monthly Compensation at the housebound rate for that same period. For the period beginning on August 30, 2022, the Veteran's 100% schedular rating was upheld.

The Board has determined that additional development is required for the Veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and a heart condition. The case will be remanded to obtain SSA records, VA medical opinions, and toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) opinions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to obtain private treatment records and provide an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his alcohol use disorder, as well as a separate rating for each diabetic complication.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2 with diabetes mellitus type 1, finding that January 23, 2020 is the earliest possible effective date.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bladder cancer and diabetes mellitus, type II is being remanded due to the need for additional development. Specifically, the AOJ must verify the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents in Korea and obtain his Army National Guard service records.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus type II, sterility, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, and migraine have been remanded due to the need for further review of the evidence.,Claims for cervical strain, lumbar strain, right knee condition, left knee condition, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy are also being remanded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of both upper and lower extremities, as the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.