Diabetes decisions — 2025

Eligibility for attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in an October 2023 rating decision is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board remands the matter for a referral to VA's Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration of an effective date earlier than February 13, 2013, for TDIU and DEA benefits.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer to correct a duty to assist error related to verifying the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents while stationed in Korea.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a neck injury, left shoulder injury, right shoulder injury, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy as they require further development.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD with alcohol use disorder.

The Board granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease, allergic rhinitis, and diabetes as secondary to relapsing polychondritis. It also granted earlier effective dates for the right thumb disability and polychondritis claims.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's service-connected nephropathy with hypertension, DM II, left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathies, and CAD. However, a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) was granted.

The Board denied service connection for peripheral arterial occlusive disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 2, a seizure disorder as secondary to hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus, cataracts as secondary to hypertension and diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia as secondary to hypertension.

The Board remands the claims for service connection, effective date, rating, and TDIU due to pre-decisional errors in the VA examinations and evaluations.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for PTSD, DMII, and a bilateral foot disorder to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The appeal was dismissed due to an impermissible concurrent election and the January 2024 AOJ decision on DM was not final.

The Board denied service connection for high cholesterol, hyperlipidemia, and pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) as there was no evidence of a current disability. The claims for hypertension, bilateral eye disability, diabetes mellitus type 1, and diabetes mellitus type 2 were remanded for further development.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, kidney failure, prostate cancer, and neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities as secondary to diabetes mellitus due to a duty to assist error.

The Board denied higher ratings for diabetes mellitus, diabetic nephropathy, diabetic retinopathy, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of all extremities. A separate 10 percent rating was granted for left knee osteochondritis with arthritic changes based on painful motion.

The Board denied an increased disability rating for diabetes mellitus type 1 and residuals of prostate cancer with erectile dysfunction and residual voiding dysfunction.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, retinopathy secondary to the non-service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II, stroke secondary to the non-service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II, a psychiatric disorder (previously claimed as depression), and a pre-existing head injury.

The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death, specifically addressing whether his respiratory failure, septic shock, hemorrhagic shock, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and chronic osteomyelitis of the right leg were related to in-service toxic exposure or an in-service right leg injury.

The Board granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and remanded the claim for idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis (IGH) to include skin conditions.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypertension, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease to correct an error by the AOJ in satisfying a regulatory or statutory duty.