Diabetes Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to an unclear VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus and left and right ankle strains aggravated his obesity, which in turn caused or contributed to his type II diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's diabetes and liver cirrhosis are related to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, and the Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for tinnitus was denied due to the lack of a pending claim from 1991, and his formal claim for tinnitus was received on April 17, 2022.,The Veteran's low back disability claim is denied as there is no evidence of record demonstrating a current disability or functional impairment related to service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for myeloma and type II diabetes mellitus were denied as there was no evidence of exposure to herbicides during service. The claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was also denied.,Service connection could not be established due to lack of exposure to Agent Orange, and the Veteran did not have any diagnosed conditions related to these claims in service or within the presumptive period.

The Board has remanded the claims of compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for diabetes mellitus, type II; compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for kidney cancer; and entitlement to aid and attendance allowance for Rosemary Ward due to a failure to request the Veteran's medical records prior to May 2008.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for prediabetes, high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia), and high blood pressure have been denied as there is no evidence of a diagnosed disability.,Service connection for hypervascular lesions within the liver, erectile dysfunction, and infertility has also been denied. The Board found that these conditions are not related to service or any service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran's varicosities in his left calf have been considered as potentially contributing to his current hypervascular lesions within the liver.

The Veteran's right knee residual scars, diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction are all granted as secondary to his service-connected right knee injury.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion due to potential applicability of the PACT Act, which requires VA to provide a medical examination and secure a nexus opinion if there is evidence of toxic exposure during service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for type II diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer residuals have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to his military service.,Financial assistance in the purchase of an automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment or adaptive equipment only has not been established due to lack of qualifying service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings were denied. The diabetes mellitus rating was not changed, the cataracts with visual field defects were rated at their maximum, and other conditions like peripheral neuropathy, hearing loss, and tinnitus did not meet criteria for higher ratings.

The Veteran's service connection claims for arthritis of the lumbar spine, left knee strain, and diabetes mellitus are granted. The claim for fibromyalgia is denied. The Veteran's left knee strain rating is maintained at 10 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease, Parkinson's disease, and diabetes mellitus on a basis other than the PACT Act due to herbicide agent exposure during service in Thailand.

The Veteran's hypertension is not rated compensably due to blood pressure readings consistently below the threshold for a higher rating.,The Veteran's cirrhosis of liver from non-alcoholic liver disease does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating based on symptoms and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score.,The Veteran's diabetic retinopathy is rated as noncompensably disabling due to visual acuity that is 20/40 in one eye without other significant impairment.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, right knee condition, cataracts, chronic allergies, and PTSD have been granted. The Board found new and relevant evidence that supports the Veteran's claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of new and relevant evidence, except for her claim regarding depression which was found not to meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for various conditions, including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, cardiac heart condition, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, diabetic renal dysfunction, diabetic retinopathy, and erectile dysfunction, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for hypertension or service connection for hyperlipidemia.

The Veteran's GERD is related to his active service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.,The evidence is in equipoise as to whether chronic kidney disease was caused by type II diabetes mellitus. The Board has also granted service connection for this secondary disability.,Similarly, the evidence is in equipoise as to whether diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities were caused by type II diabetes mellitus. The Board has granted service connection for these secondary disabilities.

The Veteran's initial ratings for diabetic polyneuropathy of the right and left lower extremities have been granted at a 20 percent rating, effective August 2, 2022.,However, higher initial ratings are denied for diabetes mellitus type 2.

The Board has granted an effective date of December 21, 2018 for the award of service connection for diabetes mellitus with bilateral lower extremity peripheral arterial disease. The decision is based on the Veteran's timely filed claim received on that date.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates related to service connection for various conditions have been denied. The Board found no other formal claims prior to the currently assigned effective dates that would entitle the Veteran to earlier effective dates.,The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss was remanded due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of his claimed condition.