Diabetes Board decisions

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, colon cancer, COPD, heart disability, sleep apnea, peptic ulcer, hydrocele, type II diabetes mellitus, urothelial cancer (claimed as bladder cancer), cervical spine disability, peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, right knee disability, and left knee disability. The cause of death claim is also remanded.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to address the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions. The specific issues include diabetes mellitus, osteoarthritis of the sacroiliac joint, diverticulitis, rheumatoid arthritis, storage mite syndrome, hypertension, and bilateral shoulder strain.

The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction, finding that it is aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus is presumed to be due to his exposure to herbicide agents, specifically Agent Orange, during service. The Board granted the claim based on this presumption.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II due to a failure to substantially comply with an October 2019 remand order.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for DM2 with ED, arthritis of the bilateral elbows and left knee to include gout, and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. The effective date for the grant of service connection for DM2 with ED was set at July 24, 2007.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate disability, and renal disease have been granted. The issues of service connection for prostate disability and renal disease are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus as the evidence did not show these conditions were related to service or manifested within one year of separation.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus was rated at 20 percent, but no higher. The right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy were each rated at 20 percent from November 6, 2019, and prior to that date, they were both rated at 10 percent.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not compensably service-connected.

The Veteran's cause of death, multiple organ failure due to metastatic pancreatic cancer with contributory diabetes mellitus, is found to be service-connected as the contributing cause was diabetes mellitus, which is presumed due to herbicide agent exposure during service in Vietnam.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, retinopathy, left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are all granted as service connected due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Thailand. The hyperkeratotic lesion of the right foot is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension has been reopened and granted. However, his claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus remains denied.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities as secondary to diabetes mellitus, and chronic kidney disease. The claim for COPD is denied due to lack of a causal link between current symptoms and service.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim for service connection for COPD has been granted. The effective date of this grant is July 21, 2017.,Diabetes mellitus type II was granted service connection with an effective date of July 21, 2017.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of service connection for heart condition and diabetes mellitus due to insufficient medical opinions on their etiology.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus is being remanded due to the need to consider entitlement to Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) prior to July 29, 2019.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes and hypertension, finding that the evidence did not support a link to military service or service-connected conditions. The Veteran's TDIU claim was also denied as his disabilities prior to February 24, 2005 did not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the claims for type II diabetes mellitus, neurodegenerative disorders (ALS and PSP), and acquired psychological disorder (PTSD and depression) due to inadequate rationale in previous VA medical opinions. The claims are now pending again with the Board.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and consideration. The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including a right shoulder disability, cervical spine DJD, cervical radiculopathy, and diabetes mellitus type II are being returned to the AOJ for additional examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus was denied, and the appeal is dismissed due to the Veteran's death.