Diabetes Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected conditions contributed substantially or materially to his death. The examiner is asked to address the Appellant's contention that her service-connected disabilities necessitated the Veteran's right lower extremity femoral bypass surgery.

The Board denied service connection for anterolisthesis and spondylosis of the lumbare spine, bilateral refractive error, and an initial disability rating higher than 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, type II. The appeal is remanded for further development.

Service connection for asbestosis is granted.,Service connection for cause of death due to asbestosis is granted.,Service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to asbestos exposure is remanded.,Service connection for diabetes due to herbicide exposure is remanded.,Service connection for kidney failure due to herbicide exposure is remanded.,Service connection for heart condition is remanded.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if any of the Veteran's conditions, including cirrhosis of the liver, are related to his military service. The examiner must consider the April 1969 service treatment records and the Veteran's presumed exposure to herbicides.

The Board dismissed all appeals for service connection and disability ratings related to the veteran's conditions, including heart disabilities, psychiatric disorders, diabetic nephropathy, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathies, and retinopathy. The appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's previously denied claim for service connection for hypertension is now reopened. The issues of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2; left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy; right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy; PTSD; and TDIU are all remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, requires only a restricted diet and oral hypoglycemic agents. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of regulation of activities due to his diabetes. Therefore, he is not entitled to a rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for memory loss is denied as the evidence does not support a finding that it is related to his service-connected conditions or exposure to herbicide agents.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus type II (DM) is denied as the evidence does not show that he requires regulation of activities beyond what is already contemplated in the current 20% rating.

The Veteran's need for aid and attendance is not due to a service-connected condition other than his cerebral vascular accident with right hemiparesis. The Board finds that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for SMC based on need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus, type II is remanded due to the need for a medical opinion regarding the regulation of activities and the relationship between hypothyroidism and his service-connected diabetes. The Veteran's claim for a separate disability rating for hypothyroidism is also remanded.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type 2 is currently rated at 20 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus and remanded his claims for increased ratings for left knee arthritis.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings have been dismissed.,Effective June 17, 2022, the Veteran is granted a 40% rating for right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy since June 16, 2011.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes, vision impairment of the right eye, a right shoulder condition, a left shoulder condition, and a right knee condition. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence showing in-service exposure to Agent Orange or other presumptive conditions.

The Veteran's unauthorized emergency care at Providence St. Mary Medical Center on August 21, 2015 is covered by VA due to the nature of his condition and the availability of alternative treatment options. The partial Medicare coverage does not affect the decision as payment or reimbursement is still warranted.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine as there was no evidence showing a nexus to service.

The Board has denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and right shoulder disability. The Veteran's claim for a right ankle disability is remanded due to inadequate development.,Service connection for headaches remains pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death and contributory causes were not related to service or a service-connected disability, thus denying the claim for service connection for cause of death.

The Board has dismissed the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, an eye disability (benign vitreous floaters), sleep apnea, and a heart disorder. The claim for PTSD was also dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia on a presumptive basis due to exposure to herbicide agents during active duty in Thailand. The Veteran's claims for thyroid cancer are remanded.