Diabetes decisions — 2024

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left foot calluses, right foot calluses, a neck disability, diabetes mellitus type 2 (diabetes), lower back disability, and right shoulder disability. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board has remanded the claims for left forearm skin cancer, left shoulder skin cancer, and a respiratory condition due to potential service connection based on exposure to Agent Orange. The Veteran's pre-diabetes claim is denied as there is no current diagnosis or functional impairment.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for Total Disability Rating for Compensation Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU), Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) based on housebound criteria, and an increased rating for psychiatric disorder prior to the decision being finalized.

The Board has granted a TDIU effective February 10, 2021, based on the Veteran's service-connected diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right and left feet.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), laryngeal cancer, and left ear hearing loss. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence showing a direct relationship to his military service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II, coronary artery disease (CAD), and hypertension are granted as secondary to herbicide exposure.,The Veteran's service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, CAD, and hypertension is granted based on the PACT Act presumption of herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death due to lack of evidence showing a link between any of the Veteran's conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for Type II diabetes mellitus, to include entitlement to separate compensable ratings for erectile dysfunction, urinary frequency, diverticular disease, and fatty liver disease, has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran withdrew all appeals regarding increased ratings for an adjustment disorder, left and right leg neuropathy, and diabetes.

The Veteran's death is attributed to his service-connected hypertension and diabetes, which were found to be related to his exposure to herbicide agents during his time in Thailand. Service connection for the cause of death is granted.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and hypertension have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal in January 2024.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including above the right knee amputation and diabetic peripheral neuropathies of both lower extremities, render him in need of regular aid and attendance due to his inability to perform daily activities without assistance. The Board has granted SMC at the R-1 rate.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of January 4, 2012 for service connection of ischemic heart disease and July 27, 2012 for diabetes mellitus, type 2. The appeal for an earlier effective date for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on housebound status and eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) under 38 U.S.C. chapter 35 is remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for a left knee disability due to the absence of evidence of a current disability, and found no causal relationship between in-service events and the claimed condition.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2 is remanded as required by the PACT Act.

The Board has denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the conditions were not incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus, type II, are granted with effective dates of September 10, 1993.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's initial rating for type II diabetes mellitus is denied as he does not require one or more daily injections of insulin and regulation of activities to treat his condition.,The Veteran's initial rating for diabetic retinopathy, to include bilateral eye cataracts, is denied as the evidence shows no incapacitating episodes, normal visual acuity in both eyes, and no impairment of central vision or visual fields.

The Board has granted the Appellant's claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that diabetes mellitus contributed to his death and was related to active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for SMC based on aid and attendance, finding that he did not require regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities prior to March 12, 2014.