Diabetes decisions — 2025

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2, due to the need for additional development and medical opinions.

The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and its secondary conditions including bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, erectile dysfunction, diabetic retinopathy, and hypertension (HTN).

The Board remands the case to obtain additional medical opinions and evidence regarding the Veteran's cause of death, specifically addressing theories related to diabetes, coronary artery disease, and a potential psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and therefore, a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted.

The Board grants service connection for diabetes mellitus, finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service at Fort McClellan and that this exposure is presumed to have caused the condition.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to a TDIU prior to March 8, 2019 for extraschedular consideration.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error by obtaining an opinion on whether the Veteran's diabetes is caused or aggravated by her service-connected PTSD.

The Board granted service connection for hepatitis C and liver cancer, but remanded the claim for diabetes mellitus due to further evidence needed.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy in the left, right lower extremity, and right upper extremity to verify the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran was not in receipt of a totally disabling service-connected disability for the required period, and therefore, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is denied.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, type II, right hip osteoarthritis, left hip osteoarthritis, and right knee disability. These conditions are causally related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities with obesity as an intermediate step.

The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, which was contributed to by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type 2.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates, service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2, and higher ratings for various disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and hypertension as these conditions were not related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his bilateral diabetic retinopathy based on visual acuity findings that did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board denied the surviving spouse's claim for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation because the Veteran was not rated totally disabled for the required periods under 38 U.S.C. § 1318, with a peak combined disability rating of 80 percent. The Board remanded three issues: entitlement to survivor's pension benefits, entitlement to TDIU based on a pending March 2020 Supplemental Claim, and entitlement to service connection for cause of death, requiring a new VA medical opinion addressing the interplay between the Veteran's ischemic heart disease, hypertension, COPD, and herbicide exposure under PACT Act provisions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and remanded several issues, including service connection for hypertension.

The Board granted the readjudication of entitlement to service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder and denied an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for diabetes mellitus, type II. An effective date of September 6, 2002 was also granted.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, liver disability, and obstructive sleep apnea as there was no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for heart condition, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, bilateral peripheral neuropathy, and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy due to further development needed.