Diabetes decisions — 2024

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of March 30, 2021, for the evaluations of left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, left lower femoral nerve, left upper extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy (non-dominant), and right lower femoral nerve.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, on a presumptive basis due to in-service herbicide exposure (Agent Orange). The decision is based on the Veteran's credible statements and corroborative evidence indicating he worked near the base perimeter where herbicides were used.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is presumed to be linked to his military service in the Republic of Vietnam.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for diabetes, left foot injury, left ankle disability, and left hip disability due to incomplete military personnel records and lack of VA treatment records. The Veteran's service connection claims will be reconsidered after obtaining these records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus as due to his service-connected hypertension has been denied. His claim for a rating of 20 percent prior to June 9, 2023, for hypertension is granted.

The Veteran's appeal regarding an increased rating for diabetes mellitus with foot ulcers has been dismissed because the appellant's representative withdrew the appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for left knee disability, diabetes mellitus, and erectile dysfunction due to incomplete medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II was present within one year of his separation from active duty, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for higher ratings for type II diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction, as well as for an effective date prior to June 28, 2017, for service connection of tension headaches.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's diagnosed diabetes mellitus type II (DMII) disability, finding that it is secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disabilities and caused by obesity resulting from those conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and diabetes mellitus type 2 are denied as the evidence does not establish a direct or secondary relationship to his military service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error in failing to verify the claimed stressor.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus (DMII), to include as due to herbicide agent exposure, finding that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure and no in-service disease or injury related to DMII. The Board concluded that the current diagnosis is not linked to service.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II as it is etiologically linked to the Veteran's active-duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to October 30, 2023. The Board found that the Veteran is precluded from substantial gainful employment due to his functional limitations caused by multiple service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's cause of death was due to metastatic renal cancer, which is service-connected. Accrued benefits for diabetes and hypertension are granted, but not for deep vein thrombosis, peripheral neuropathy, liver cancer, obstructive sleep apnea, or depression.

An effective date of June 10, 2016, and no earlier, for the grant of a 100 percent rating for PTSD is granted. Effective dates prior to October 18, 2017, are denied for increased ratings for left and right lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

The rating reduction from 20 percent to 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss was not proper, and the 20 percent rating is restored effective January 10, 2022.,Entitlement to compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for cerebrovascular accident (claimed as stroke) is remanded due to insufficient rationale in the medical opinion.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, parkinsonism/Parkinson's disease, hypothyroidism, and hypertension have been granted. The service connection is presumed due to exposure to herbicide agents during service.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD, diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea, valvular heart disease, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, fungal infection of the left toe, and bilateral hearing loss, have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since May 11, 2021. The Board has granted a TDIU effective as of that date.