Diabetes Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran does not require personal care services for a minimum of six continuous months due to his ability to perform activities of daily living independently and manage his health without assistance.

The Board has found new and relevant evidence to warrant readjudication of the claims for service connection for various conditions, including arthritis, back; bilateral fingers; bilateral toes; bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome; diabetes mellitus, type II; sleep apnea; and an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as 'phobias').

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to inadequate VA examinations and potential exposure to toxic substances during military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The Board finds the available opinions inadequate and requires a new VA examination to determine if OSA is related to service, including conceded exposure to herbicide agents. If related, the examiner must also consider whether it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate opinion regarding aggravation of alcohol use disorder by service-connected PTSD. The Veteran's death was caused by complications from diabetes and chronic ethanol abuse, with hypertensive heart disease being a significant contributing condition.

The Board has dismissed all claims of service connection and increased ratings for various conditions, including diabetes, eye conditions, GERD, gout, hypothyroidism, neck disability, left shoulder disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, and bilateral hearing loss. The effective dates for the granted disabilities have also been dismissed.

The Veteran's cause of death is granted as his service-connected diabetes and presumptively service-connected hypertension are considered contributory causes of death.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2 as secondary to his insomnia disorder with secondary adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood. The decision is based on a VA opinion that found it at least as likely as not that the Veteran's diabetes was related to or exacerbated by his insomnia disorder.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II and hypothyroidism are granted as service connected.

The Veteran's application to reopen claims for service connection for various conditions, including a low back disability, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, headaches, and neuropathies of the upper and lower extremities, has been granted based on new evidence suggesting these disabilities are related to service exposure at Camp Lejeune.,A skin disability claim was also reopened.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II was rated at 20 percent, the lowest possible rating under VA guidelines. The Board found that regulation of activities was not required for this condition and there were no compensable complications.

The Board has granted service connection for Type I diabetes mellitus, finding that it was initially manifested during active service.

The Veteran's residuals of prostate cancer are rated at the maximum schedular disability rating (60%) and no higher due to his use of an appliance.,The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction is not entitled to a higher than 20% rating as he does not require insulin or regulation of activities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes, left and right lower extremity polyneuropathy are remanded due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error related to the exposure to ionizing radiation. A new TERA opinion is required.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to engage and retain substantially gainful employment as of May 1, 2019. The Board granted TDIU effective from that date.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error regarding exposure to herbicide agents and other toxic exposures. The AOJ must develop the evidence related to commercial herbicides, open burn pits, fuel, aircraft exhaust, and industrial solvents.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and compensation under 38 U.S.C. 1151 due to an alleged missing Notice of Disagreement (NOD) filed in January 2016, which was sent in response to a notification letter dated October 2015.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is currently rated at 20 percent and the Board denied an increased rating.,Both his right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy affecting the sciatic nerve are currently rated at 20 percent each. The Board denied increased ratings for these conditions.,The Veteran's diabetic nephropathy is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board granted a 60 percent rating for this condition.

The appeals for various conditions, including foot issues, heart disease, diabetes, and migraines have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The initial non-compensable ratings assigned for the conditions are upheld.