Diabetes decisions — 2024

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in VA's duty to assist and a need for additional medical opinions regarding the cause of death.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus type II was denied as the evidence did not show that his diabetes required more than one daily insulin injection and a restricted diet. The Veteran also received a TDIU due to multiple service-connected disabilities.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea, chronic fatigue syndrome, left knee disability, and erectile dysfunction as untimely.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for diabetes, heart disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea due to new evidence received. The claims for left shoulder, lumbar spine, right foot, and left foot disorders are also being remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a small superficially healing ulcer from chemical burn to his left side of face, bilateral tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, pes planus and plantar fasciitis of the right foot, and right lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or any other compensable basis.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to inadequate TERA opinions and the need for additional clarification. The claims include chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), kidney cancer, colon cancer, hypertension, fistulas of the left arm with scar, fistula of the right arm with scar, and diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to incomplete evaluations, lack of recent VA examinations, and outstanding SSA records. The Veteran will be scheduled for additional medical examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, heart disability, and sinus condition due to lack of relevant evidence.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to incomplete military records and need for further examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for TDIU, DEA eligibility, and SMC based on housebound status due to lack of evidence showing entitlement arose prior to April 11, 2010.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to verify the Veteran's claimed in-service exposure to herbicide agents/Agent Orange. The cause of death is listed as severe cardiomyopathy, ischemic cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee arthritis, diabetes mellitus, and right hallux valgus were denied as new and relevant evidence did not tend to prove or disprove the elements of service connection.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for tension headaches secondary to PTSD and obstructive sleep apnea secondary to PTSD are granted.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence to support presumptive or direct service connection. The Veteran died from cerebrovascular accident and diabetes.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes was denied, and the Board found that there is no current disability of diabetes. The Veteran's claim for TDIU was granted as his PTSD and gout disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to herbicide exposure for prostate cancer residuals, diabetes mellitus type 2, and a heart disability including IHD/CAD. The AOJ is instructed to verify the Veteran's reported in-service exposure along the DMZ.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for diabetic neuropathy in the upper and lower extremities was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support ratings higher than 20 percent for both the left and right upper extremities, as well as the left and right lower extremities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new medical opinions being needed on whether the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability caused or aggravated his claimed conditions, including CAD, hypertension, OSA, pancreatic cyst, lumbar spine disorder, type II diabetes mellitus, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, peripheral vascular disease, testosterone deficiency, colon disorder, and foot disorder.

The appeal to determine eligibility for attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in a May 2020 rating decision is dismissed because the appellant did not file an NOD within the required timeframe.

The Board has remanded the claim for TDIU from October 24, 2017, to February 20, 2020, due to an error in failing to provide a statement of reasons or bases and because there is evidence that raises a reasonable possibility that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities left him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment.

The appeal for earlier effective dates for diabetes mellitus type 2 with erectile dysfunction, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities, diabetic nephropathy with hypertension, macular edema and retinal scarring due to proliferative diabetic retinopathy, status post panretinal photocoagulation, both eyes, and SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ is dismissed.,The appeal for earlier effective dates for diabetes mellitus type 2 with erectile dysfunction, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, diabetic nephropathy with hypertension, macular edema and retinal scarring due to proliferative diabetic retinopathy, status post panretinal photocoagulation, both eyes, and SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ is dismissed.,The appeal for earlier effective dates for diabetes mellitus type 2 with erectile dysfunction, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, diabetic nephropathy with hypertension, macular edema and retinal scarring due to proliferative diabetic retinopathy, status post panretinal photocoagulation, both eyes, and SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ is dismissed.,The appeal for earlier effective dates for diabetes mellitus type 2 with erectile dysfunction, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, macular edema and retinal scarring due to proliferative diabetic retinopathy, status post panretinal photocoagulation, both eyes, and SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ is dismissed.,The appeal for earlier effective dates for diabetes mellitus type 2 with erectile dysfunction, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, macular edema and retinal scarring due to proliferative diabetic retinopathy, status post panretinal photocoagulation, both eyes, and SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ is dismissed.