Diabetes decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for diabetic retinopathy is granted, but the Board has remanded his claims regarding diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction and left shoulder disability.,The Veteran was previously rated at 10 percent for diabetic retinopathy. The Board found that he does not have incapacitating episodes requiring treatment visits.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes was granted, and the Board found that he is eligible for attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in a May 2023 rating decision.

The Board has granted the appeal for severance of service connection for left ulnar nerve upper extremity diabetic neuropathy, right ulnar nerve upper extremity diabetic neuropathy, and denied the appeal for severance of service connection for left lower extremity diabetic neuropathy and right lower extremity diabetic neuropathy.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is rated at 20 percent, effective from the date of the March 2021 decision. The ratings for PTSD and right knee disability are denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's right lower extremity below the knee amputation was caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II. The case is being returned for further development and an etiology opinion.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than December 9, 2021, for the grant of TDIU was denied. The Board found that the matter of TDIU was implicitly denied in the October 2018 decision and that the Veteran did not appeal this decision in a timely manner.

The Board has dismissed all claims for earlier effective dates and evaluations for diabetic peripheral neuropathy, as the Veteran died during the appeal process.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal of the initial evaluations for diabetes mellitus and hypertension, leading to the dismissal of these issues.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence suggesting the Veteran's ships were within 12 nautical miles of Vietnam, potentially exposing him to herbicides. Further development is needed to determine which ship(s) he served on and whether they were in a qualifying bay or harbor.

The Veteran's hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, and obstructive sleep apnea were not incurred during active duty or within one year of separation from active duty. The lumbar spine disorder was not diagnosed during a period of qualifying service.,Service connection for these conditions is denied as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease.

The Board has found that there is pre-decisional error in the case and requires an addendum VA medical opinion to address the Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, type II, and Parkinson's disease due to exposure to toxic risk activities (TERA).

The Board denied service connection for heart disorder, diabetes mellitus, type II, and prostate cancer all claimed as due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The Board found no evidence of a link between the Veteran's military service and these conditions.

The Board has granted separate ratings for Parkinson's Disease and Depression, as well as earlier effective dates of November 19, 2021 for the grants of service connection for Parkinson's, Diabetes, and a Psychiatric Disorder. The decision also addresses the Appellant's claims regarding these issues.

The Veteran's initial rating for diabetes mellitus type II is denied, and the effective date for service connection remains at August 10, 2022.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus type II was granted on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure under the PACT Act.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for tinnitus and diabetes mellitus, type II due to a lack of adequate medical opinions. The AOJ is required to obtain new medical opinions addressing the relationship between the Veteran's conditions and his military service.

The Board has dismissed the claim for a compensable rating for hypertension as moot due to concurrent adjudication and granting of the rating. The Veteran is granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities, which have rendered him unemployable. SMC for aid and attendance is also granted due to the Veteran's need for substantial assistance from his husband.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain and/or maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board finds that his appeal for TDIU is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II (DM II) due to herbicide agent exposure under the PACT Act. The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a brain embolism and erectile dysfunction are remanded as there is insufficient evidence to determine if these conditions are related to his service-connected DM II.

The Veteran's service at Korat RTAFB in Thailand during his active duty is presumed to have exposed him to herbicide agents, leading to the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, high blood pressure, hypothyroidism, neuropathy, and sleep apnea due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran asserts exposure to herbicide agents during a secret mission in Korea.