Diabetes Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for chronic myelogenous leukemia, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension due to a duty to assist error in verifying the Veteran's exposure to groundwater contaminants at Fort Lee.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is granted as service connected due to exposure to herbicide agents during his time in Thailand. The effective date of the decision is the date of enactment of the claim.

The Veteran's disability rating for major depressive disorder was reduced from 50% to 30%, effective November 1, 2019. The reduction was proper as the symptoms showed sustained improvement on reexamination. His diabetes mellitus remains at a 20% rating.

The Veteran's need for aid and attendance is not due to his service-connected conditions, but rather to non-service connected disabilities like Parkinson's disease. As a result, the claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance is denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and diabetic neuropathy have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's left upper extremity radiculopathy was initially rated at 20 percent prior to September 15, 2016 and then increased to 30 percent from that date onwards. A TDIU was granted effective July 24, 2018 due to the combined effect of multiple service-connected disabilities. Prior to this, a 20 percent rating for left upper extremity radiculopathy was denied.

The Board denied service connection for a heart condition, diabetes mellitus, stroke residuals, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy. The evidence did not support the Veteran's claims of direct service connection or secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.,The Board found that there was no in-service exposure to herbicide agents or other toxins linked to these conditions. The Veteran's heart condition is presumed to have existed prior to service, and he has not provided credible evidence linking it to service. His diabetes mellitus and stroke residuals are not considered presumptively related to herbicide agent exposure. The peripheral neuropathy was first diagnosed many years after service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for Meniere's disease, diabetes mellitus, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy due to conflicting opinions from VA examiners. The Veteran is asked to provide additional evidence or undergo further examination.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and remanded the claims of service connection for bronchial asthma with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a back disability, and residuals of a head injury. The claim for service connection for diabetes was denied due to lack of in-service event or disease, no herbicide exposure during service, and insufficient evidence linking current diabetes to service.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II to include as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities. The heart disorders claim is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease, rendered him unable to care for himself without regular aid and attendance from his wife.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD was denied. The Board found that the Veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus type II was denied. The record does not show that he requires one or more daily injection of insulin, which is required for a higher rating.,Prior to September 23, 2019, the Veteran's TDIU claim was denied on schedular grounds as his combined disability rating did not meet the criteria for a total rating. The Director of Compensation Service determined that the evidence does not support an extraschedular TDIU prior to this date.

The Board denied service connection for heart disorder, diabetes mellitus type II, skin disorder, and fibromyalgia with chronic fatigue as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during service or were related to in-service events.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete development of the Veteran's Reserve service records, specifically his active-duty training in the summer of 1996. The VA will need to verify these periods and obtain any related service treatment records before obtaining medical opinions on the nature and likely etiology of the sleep apnea, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to determine if the Veteran served in Vietnam or Laos, which could affect his claims for service connection. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board has found that additional evidence was added to the record after certification to the Board and remanded the claims for further development. The Veteran's appeal is now pending with the RO, which must consider all of the evidence of record in an appropriate supplemental statement of the case.

The Veteran's hypertension and diabetes mellitus were diagnosed within one year of separation from service, meeting the criteria for direct service connection.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is granted as presumptively due to herbicide agent exposure during service. The claim for bilateral hip disability secondary to service-connected knee disabilities is remanded.

The Veteran's CLL, diabetes, GVHD of the lips, and bilateral neuropathy are granted as service-connected due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Okinawa. The Board found reasonable doubt in favor of the appellant for all conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by multiple conditions, and it is unclear if any of these were service-connected. The case is being remanded to obtain additional information regarding possible exposure to herbicide agents during active service.