Diabetes decisions — 2024

The Board has identified due process errors and is remanding the issues of the propriety of reductions in the Veteran's right and left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy ratings, as well as the issue of an earlier effective date for Total Disability Rating based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) prior to August 13, 2021.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, pancreatic cancer, and chronic pain in multiple body parts. The appeals are being remanded to consider additional evidence.

The Veteran's TDIU and SMC at the housebound rate are granted from December 6, 2018 to November 4, 2019 due to his service-connected heart condition.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding various service connection claims due to the Veteran's death during the appeal process.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD), Diabetes Mellitus, Type II (DM), tinnitus, and Hypertension (HTN) have been denied. The Veteran was also remanded for further review of his claim for service connection for a disability manifest by dizziness secondary to a service-connected disability.,The Veteran's IHD is rated at 60 percent, which is the maximum rating available under the applicable criteria. His DM is currently rated at 20 percent, and tinnitus at 10 percent. The Veteran's HTN does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to the specified dates are denied as there is no evidence of a pending claim or service connection request for these conditions prior to those dates.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for Type II diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy with hypertension, as well as his TDIU claim, are being remanded due to the need to obtain SSA records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability, diabetes mellitus type II, and coronary artery disease have been granted. The rating for bilateral hearing loss remains denied.

The Board has granted an effective date of March 16, 2015 for the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II. The claim of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, type II is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for hypertension and diabetes due to incomplete records from Dr. W.R.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension (claimed as high blood pressure), and high cholesterol due to a lack of current diagnoses in the record.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to a duty to assist error in failing to obtain his complete service treatment records and conflicting information regarding his social security number and date of birth. The issues will be reconsidered after these matters have been addressed.

The Veteran's death was not due to a service-connected disability, and none of his service-connected conditions were significant contributors to his death. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for TDIU as he could perform sedentary work despite his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities (PTSD and diabetes) preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, granting his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of diabetes mellitus, type II is denied. The Board also finds a pre-decisional duty to assist error in not having a VA examination prior to the rating decision on appeal and remands the case for such an examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, including as due to dioxin and/or herbicide exposure or as secondary to PTSD. The Veteran is required to undergo a VA examination to determine if their diabetes mellitus type II was caused by or worsened by PTSD medication.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable disability rating for hypertension is dismissed. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for coronary artery disease, prostate cancer, and type II diabetes mellitus.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinions regarding whether the Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is caused or aggravated by his service-connected obstructive sleep apnea. The VA must provide a new medical opinion addressing these issues.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II was granted with an effective date of January 28, 2022. The Board found that the current disability requirement for a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus type II was met from January 28, 2022.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes mellitus type II, and sciatic neuropathy associated with his diabetes, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since June 28, 2008. The Board has granted an earlier effective date of March 31, 2008 for the TDIU.