Diabetes Board decisions

The Veteran's TDIU and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) claims are granted effective March 16, 2016. The effective date for DEA is the same as that for TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, finding no evidence of exposure to Agent Orange and insufficient STRs to support a direct service connection.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal due to satisfaction with current evaluations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, type II and bilateral hearing loss due to potential application of the PACT Act. The claim for diabetes will be remanded for a VA examination and opinion regarding the relationship between service and the condition, while the hearing loss claim will be reconsidered in light of the actions taken on the diabetes claim.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for service-connected diabetic neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities have been withdrawn, resulting in their dismissal.,Service connection has been granted for hypertension beginning August 10, 2022, due to presumed exposure under the PACT Act. The effective date is not specified as it falls within a presumptive period.,Service connection has also been granted for prostate cancer beginning August 10, 2022, due to presumed exposure under the PACT Act. The effective date is not specified as it falls within a presumptive period.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus and diabetic peripheral neuropathy have been remanded for further evaluation as the current ratings are not sufficient to reflect the severity of his disabilities.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received for the Veteran's claims of lumbar spine disorder and diabetes mellitus type II, warranting readjudication.,The appeal as to the right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is also remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II was dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, a heart condition, and chronic kidney disease due to a duty to assist error regarding exposure to herbicide agents during service at Fort McClellan, Alabama. The Veteran's unit of assignment needs to be verified, and a request should be resubmitted to the Military Records Research Center.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increase in rating or service connection for any of the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance due to his diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, and coronary artery disease. The Board has granted SMC based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's claims for obesity, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, right knee osteoarthritis status post total knee arthroplasty, left foot disorder, diabetes mellitus type II, lumbar spine disorder, sleep apnea, and hypertension have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, right and left upper extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and right and left lower extremity femoral nerve peripheral neuropathy are not rated higher than the current levels. The earlier effective dates for service connection of these conditions have also been denied.

The Veteran's diabetes was rated at 20 percent under Diagnostic Code 7913, and the Board found that it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating as he only required restricted diet and an oral hypoglycemic agent.

The Board has granted an effective date of October 1, 2011 for service connection of the Veteran's lower extremity diabetic neuropathy of the femoral and sciatic nerves. The decision resolves doubt in favor of the Veteran based on his contentions that symptoms began during active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type I and its associated diabetic neuropathy conditions are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions. The VA will need to provide a new examination to address the etiology of the Veteran's diabetes mellitus type I and whether it is related to his service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for diabetes mellitus and related peripheral neuropathies have been denied. The effective date cannot be earlier than December 6, 2022 as per VA regulations.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus and headache disorder (migraines) due to new evidence that may affect their service connection. The VA will seek opinions on whether her obesity, caused by her service-connected disabilities and medications, is a substantial factor in causing or aggravating her current conditions.

The Veteran's appeals for effective dates prior to January 17, 2020, for PTSD and February 4, 2020, for diabetes mellitus type II have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including diabetic retinopathy and various types of peripheral neuropathy, were granted. The Veteran was also awarded a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.