Diabetes Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting medical evidence regarding whether the Veteran has diabetic retinopathy or other eye diagnoses secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

The Board has remanded the case due to a finding of service in Vietnam, which could affect the presumption for herbicide exposure. The Veteran's service record does not confirm this claim.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his authorized representative, and the Board is dismissing the case as a result.

The Veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected disabilities, but the Board is remanding for a VA oncologist to provide an opinion on whether his mesothelioma could be causally related to his service or if it contributed substantially and materially to his death.

The Veteran's claim for earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus, type 2 with pseudophakia associated with herbicide exposure is denied.,Effective from April 13, 2012, the Veteran has been granted service connection for left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy.,Effective from April 13, 2012, the Veteran has also been granted service connection for left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy.,Effective from April 13, 2012, the Veteran has also been granted service connection for right lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy.,Effective from April 13, 2012, the Veteran has also been granted service connection for right upper extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Board has found that the AOJ did not properly verify the Veteran's claimed exposure to herbicide agents in Okinawa, Japan. The case is being remanded for further verification of this claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is unable to self-sustain in the community due to his dementia and other medical conditions, granting a Level 2 stipend in the PCAFC program.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected.,Service connection is also granted for hypothyroidism, prostate cancer, and diabetes mellitus type II due to in-service herbicide exposure. Ischemic heart disease remains denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for Parkinson's disease and diabetes mellitus, type II due to a lack of a VA examination and etiological opinion regarding his claimed exposures during service. The Veteran must be scheduled for a VA examination to determine if his conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral eye disability, bilateral hearing loss, type II diabetes mellitus (insulin dependence), bilateral kidney condition, erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and acquired psychiatric disability were all denied as there is no persuasive evidence of a current disability during or shortly before the pendency of the claim.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are based on his exposure to hazardous noise in military service. However, the VA examiner found that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability and noted that there was no significant shift in hearing thresholds beyond test variability from the Veteran's entrance to separation.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further investigation and review due to errors in verifying the Veteran's alleged exposure to herbicide agents in Korea. The issues of service connection for B cell lymphoma, heart disorder, and diabetes mellitus type II are now pending.

The Veteran's service connection claims for migraine headaches, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, congestive heart failure, type II diabetes mellitus, cervical spine disability, and lumbar spine disability have all been denied.,Service connection was not granted as the evidence did not establish a direct or secondary relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's service.

The Veteran's diabetes requires regulation of activities but no restriction of diet, and thus does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to November 20, 2019, for service connection of diabetes mellitus type II and also denied his request for a higher initial rating. The decision was based on the fact that no formal or informal claims were filed before November 20, 2019, and there was no evidence showing an earlier claim for diabetes.

The Board denied service connection for erectile dysfunction due to the absence of a diagnosed disability during the appeal period.,The Board remanded the claims for diabetic peripheral neuropathy, as there was conflicting evidence regarding whether the Veteran had this condition.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent effective October 9, 2020. Ratings for his right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are denied.

The Veteran's service connection for chronic kidney disease secondary to diabetes mellitus type II was granted with an effective date of February 15, 2017. The initial rating assigned is 20 percent.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's Obstructive Sleep Apnea is secondary to his service-connected Coronary Artery Disease and Diabetes Mellitus Type II. The examiner needs to address whether obesity, which may be related to the service-connected conditions, was a substantial factor in causing the OSA.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent, and service connection for left and right diabetic peripheral neuropathy are both denied.