Diabetes Board decisions

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus. The case is remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records from Brooke Army Medical Center and determine if there is a link between military environmental exposure, including Agent Orange, and erectile dysfunction.

The Board has remanded the cases for further evaluation due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the service-connected disabilities and Type II diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's COPD is granted as service connected. The Board finds the evidence to be in approximate balance and grants service connection for COPD. Other issues of service connection are remanded.

The Veteran is entitled to a TDIU from December 3, 2014 due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left and right hands, currently rated at 20 percent each. The case is being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, finding that the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his active duty in Thailand is presumed and thus granting the claim.

The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of service connection for a bilateral knee disability has been granted. The claims for increased ratings and service connection for various conditions have been remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and COPD have been denied as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents or asbestos. The Board found that the Veteran did not serve in Vietnam and thus could not be presumed exposed to herbicides. Additionally, his symptoms were not shown to be related to service.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as it was not properly raised in his initial notice of disagreement and no valid NOD or appeal was filed.

The Board has determined that there has not been substantial compliance with the previous remand instructions and additional development is necessary before the Veteran's claims can be adjudicated on the merits.

The Veteran's terminal lung cancer and other service-connected conditions are granted, with a total disability rating for lung cancer. Service connection is granted for thyroidectomy scar, hypertension, and right lung transplant with scar. However, service connection is denied for balance issues, left eyelid cancer, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, glaucoma, and bilateral cataracts.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral diabetic retinopathy with macular edema and cataracts from March 8, 2021 is denied. The earlier effective date of TDIU to August 19, 2011 is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicides during his service at Andersen AFB in Guam, which is necessary for a determination on diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's headache disability is granted as secondary to his service-connected tinnitus, PTSD, peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic and femoral nerves, diabetes mellitus type II, and depression.

The Board denied increased disability ratings for various conditions, including CAD, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities. The Veteran's appeal was dismissed for an earlier effective date for service connection of unspecified depressive disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and diabetes mellitus type II, as these conditions are claimed to be secondary to his service-connected lower extremity disabilities. The Veteran is seeking a determination on whether his current diagnoses of sleep apnea and diabetes mellitus are related to or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral lower extremity varicose veins and left ankle disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for additional development due to insufficient evidence and need for updated VA treatment records, a new examination, and completion of forms related to TDIU.

The Board denied service connection for insomnia, hypertension, thyroid condition, and diabetes mellitus as there was no evidence of these conditions during active service or within one year after separation from service.,The Board denied service connection for insomnia, hypertension, thyroid condition, and diabetes mellitus as there was no evidence of these conditions during active service or within one year after separation from service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and PTSD, as well as his claim for TDIU, are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations.