Diabetes decisions — 2024

The Board denied service connection for enlarged tonsils, bilateral hearing loss, and diabetes mellitus due to a lack of current disability diagnoses or evidence linking these conditions to service. The Veteran's claims were not supported by the medical evidence presented.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection due to the PACT Act, which retroactively granted presumptive service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and related conditions based on herbicide exposure. The effective date remains August 10, 2022.

The Board has determined that the AOJ did not properly address the Veteran's earlier effective date claims for service connection and remands these issues.

The Board denied service connection for MGUS and did not assign a rating for the Veteran's stroke, right lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, or left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The Veteran was granted TDIU.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes as there is no current diagnosis of the condition during or recent to the filing of the claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus type II, erectile dysfunction, and bilateral lower and upper extremity neuropathy is being remanded due to the Veteran's failure to attend scheduled VA examinations. The Board will schedule new VA examinations and provide notification of any future appointments.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of bilateral hearing loss is granted to a 10 percent rating. The claims for service connection for sleep apnea and diabetes mellitus due to TERA exposure are remanded.

The Veteran's heart disability, respiratory disability, diabetes mellitus, and various peripheral neuropathies and radiculopathies are not service-connected. The cervical spine disability is also denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus, finding that there is no current diagnosis of this condition and thus not meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has vacated the March 18, 2024 decision that granted a 20% rating for left upper extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy (median nerve) from December 21, 2022. The Veteran's symptoms have worsened since then, showing moderate incomplete paralysis of the left median nerve.

The Board denied the claim of service connection for diabetes because no new and relevant evidence was submitted after the October 2018 rating decision.

The Veteran's appeal for increased disability ratings for urinary frequency, bilateral lower extremity neuropathy disabilities, and left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy is dismissed due to the invalidity of his July 2019 Notice of Disagreement.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including diabetes mellitus type 2 and its associated neuropathies, prostate cancer with bladder dysfunction, and radiation proctitis with anemia, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board granted TDIU based on the cumulative effect of these disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes and diabetes peripheral neuropathy are being remanded due to the need for a medical opinion regarding the relationship between his military service and these conditions, given his exposure to burn pits during his deployments.

The Board has decided that service connection is denied for right thumb strain. Service connection is remanded for diabetes mellitus type II and erectile dysfunction, as the AOJ did not obtain adequate medical opinions addressing these issues.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion and incomplete service treatment records. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is being reviewed again for proper service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for asthma, type 2 diabetes mellitus (DMII), and left knee disability. The decision found that the pre-existing conditions did not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his exposure to toxic substances during military service, including in Southwest Asia and at Fort McClellan. The VA examiners did not adequately address the Veteran's contentions regarding his hazardous exposures.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities, finding that the earliest diagnosis was on July 13, 2021.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete records and potential exposure verification issues.