Diabetes Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to a duty-to-assist error. The examiner is required to provide an opinion on whether any of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed substantially and materially to his death.

The Board has denied service connection for diabetes mellitus due to Agent Orange exposure and has remanded the case for further development regarding direct service connection.

The Veteran's service connection claims for Type II diabetes mellitus, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and tinnitus have been granted.,Service connection has been established for right and left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathies as secondary to his service-connected diabetes.,Regarding tinnitus, while it is not presumed due to herbicide exposure or a specific period of service, the Veteran's claim will be remanded for further consideration.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus and diabetic neuropathy render him in need of the aid and attendance of another person, leading to a grant of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's PTSD is now rated at 100 percent effective June 5, 2015. Service connection for iliohypogastric nerve injury (claimed as nerve damage to the stomach) and diabetes mellitus are granted. The claims for service connection for vertigo, gastrointestinal disability, neurological disorder, and asthma are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for bladder cancer, type II diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower and upper extremities due to a lack of evidence showing exposure to herbicides during service.

The Veteran's diabetes requires an oral hypoglycemic agent and restricted diet, but does not require one or more daily injections of insulin. Therefore, the initial evaluation for diabetes is granted at a 20 percent rating.

The Veteran withdrew their appeals for service connection of skeletal arthritis, right lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for high cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), sleep apnea, and hypertension has been denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of these conditions.,There is no evidence in the record showing that the Veteran had any of these disabilities at any time during or recent to the filing of his claim.

The Veteran's appeals for higher initial ratings and earlier effective dates were denied. The diabetes was rated at the minimum level, with no need for insulin or restricted activities. The lower extremity neuropathies met the criteria for a 20 percent rating but not higher. The upper extremity neuropathies also met the criteria for a 30-40 percent rating but not higher. The cardiac disability was rated at the minimum level, with no need for insulin or restricted activities.

The Board denied a TDIU based on a single service-connected disability, finding that the Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for headaches, hypertension, a cervical spine disability (claimed as chronic muscle tension), diabetes mellitus, type II (DMII), and sleep apnea due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board has remanded the claims for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, service connection for arthritis, prostate cancer, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, and diabetes. The appellant is also seeking TDIU based on her spouse's service-connected disabilities.

The appeal for service connection for diabetes mellitus was dismissed because the issue of entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus was granted by a February 2024 rating decision.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death prior to or during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for type II diabetes mellitus (DM) with erectile dysfunction and nephropathy is being remanded due to the failure to appear at a scheduled Board hearing. Dermatitis/skin lesions and intermittent seizures, related to exposure to Agent Orange, are not before the Board as they were not included within one year of the April 2023 VA form 10182 submission.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on three conditions have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, right and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy of the femoral and sciatic nerves, hypothyroidism, and erectile dysfunction with effective dates of March 19, 2021.