Diabetes decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension due to a failure to provide a VA examination and obtain a medical opinion regarding these conditions.

The Veteran's sleep apnea, hypertension, and heart condition are granted service connection. The claims for diabetes mellitus, type II (DM) and colon cancer are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus was granted. Service connection for nuclear cataracts, GERD, left knee limitation of flexion, and left knee instability were denied. A separate 20 percent evaluation for a left knee meniscal tear was granted.

The Board has determined that the August 2021 rating decision on appeal did not adequately address the Veteran's claim for service connection of DM2 as secondary to Sleep Apnea and Somatic Symptom Disorder. The matter is being remanded to obtain an addendum opinion addressing whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated obesity, which in turn may have caused DM2.

The Veteran's death was caused by diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer, which are presumed to be service-connected due to exposure to herbicides. Service connection for the cause of death is granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and coronary artery disease as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents or chronic conditions that would warrant presumptive service connection. The Board also found no direct service connection based on the lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death is not related to his service, and therefore denied the claim for service connection for cause of death.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder.

The appeal of evaluation for obstructive sleep apnea with left phrenic nerve paralysis associated with diabetes mellitus is dismissed. The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for trigeminal neuralgia.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, finding that it is proximately due to the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorder with obesity as an intermediate step.

The Board denied eligibility for attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in the August 2022 rating decision, as there was no qualifying review request on that decision. The appellant's argument regarding a supplemental claim for TDIU is not considered valid.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, right lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran's obesity is an intermediate step between his current diabetes mellitus and his service-connected lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus and kidney failure due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The Veteran's theories of entitlement include exposure to toxic chemicals, experimental immunization, and Agent Orange exposure.

Your appeal has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The Board cannot issue a decision on your claims as they are no longer pending.

The Board has found that new and relevant evidence supports readjudicating the claims for diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, and heart disability. The AOJ must now adjudicate these claims based on this new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus, type II with hypertension and diabetic retinopathy was denied. The Board also granted a rating of 40 percent for diabetes mellitus, type II with hypertension, diabetic retinopathy, and erectile dysfunction from November 17, 2021.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities due to secondary service connection. The case is returned for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to conflicting evidence regarding his exposure to herbicides and the need for a VA medical opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence within one year of final decisions, and because the Veteran did not have exposure to herbicide agents under the PACT Act.

The Veteran's hypertension and arteriosclerotic heart disease are service-connected, with the latter being secondary to the former.,The cause of death is attributed to bilateral pneumonia and congestive heart failure, which were related to the Veteran's service-connected conditions.