Diabetes Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, neuropathy, basal cell carcinoma, and heart condition. The issues are related to alleged herbicide agent exposure during service in Korea.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance/housebound status was denied as he is not in need of regular aid and attendance or housebound due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and atrial fibrillation due to potential missing private treatment records and additional JSRRC searches for Air Force flights from U-Tapao to Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient opinions regarding the etiology of diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension, as well as the relationship between in-service weight gain and these conditions. The peripheral neuropathy claim is also remanded because it is inextricably intertwined with the diabetes mellitus type II claim.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus type II and diabetic peripheral neuropathy due to worsening symptoms since his last VA examination in September 2017. The Veteran is required to provide updated medical records, including from Dr. O’Neil and Dr. Kohlenberg.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, and a nerve condition of the bilateral upper extremities have all been denied. The Board found insufficient evidence to support herbicide exposure during service at Takhli RTAFB, and thus denied presumptive service connection based on herbicide exposure.,The Veteran's claim for erectile dysfunction was not granted as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus because there is no evidence of a current disability related to service. The Board also found insufficient evidence of a nerve condition in the upper extremities.

The Board has granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is at least as likely due to chemical exposure during his military service.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral eye disorder, finding that the Veteran's conditions are not related to his service or his service-connected diabetes.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II and related peripheral neuropathy are granted as presumptively related to herbicide exposure in Thailand.,The Veteran's hypertension is also granted as presumptively related to herbicide exposure in Thailand. The Veteran's erectile dysfunction and voiding dysfunction, as well as his bilateral eye conditions (cataracts and diabetic retinopathy) are all secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and remand directives were not complied with, necessitating another examination for each of the service connection claims.,The Veteran's right knee disability is being examined to determine if it is related to his in-service fall and motor vehicle accident. The examiner will also consider the Veteran’s lay statements regarding these events.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity can be adjudicated.,The Veteran's hypertension may not have been related to his exposure to herbicide agents, as no VA examiner has provided an opinion on this issue.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD due to conflicting evidence and need for further examination.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II as it did not meet the criteria of direct or secondary service connection. The appeal was also dismissed due to lack of herbicide agent exposure and because the Veteran's diabetes was not caused by his service-connected peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for onychomycosis and diabetes mellitus due to their inextricability, as well as the need to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as new and material evidence was not received to reopen the previously denied claims. The claim for bilateral pes planus is granted, but the other conditions are denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,The Veteran's residuals of prostate cancer are rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 7528.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete medical records from Dr. M-Q and Dr. G.S., which are necessary to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining all forms of substantially gainful employment, so his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability is denied.

The Veteran's allergic rhinitis is granted a higher 10 percent rating. The claims for service connection for deviated septum and tonsillectomy, obstructive sleep apnea, and diabetes mellitus are dismissed due to lack of jurisdiction.

The Board has denied service connection for COPD and remanded the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction due to herbicide exposure in Thailand.