Diabetes Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected eye disability, bilateral nuclear sclerotic and cortical cataracts, was denied an initial compensable extra-schedular evaluation. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the schedular criteria for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his other service-connected disabilities.

The claim for service connection of various conditions, including low back disability, acquired psychiatric disorder, restless leg syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, headaches, hypothalamus disability, and others is granted. However, the rating for a thoracic spine disorder remains remanded, as does the claims for sleep disorder and acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, type II diabetes (DM), and bilateral lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy due to potential PCB exposure at Fort McClellan in Anniston, Alabama. The VA examiner's opinion is inadequate as it did not address the specific contentions of the Veteran regarding her PCB exposure.

The Veteran's service connection claims for atrial fibrillation and diabetes mellitus secondary to herbicide exposure are denied as there is no credible evidence of herbicide exposure during service, and the conditions are not related to active duty.

The Veteran's claims for service connection on multiple issues are being remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and opinions.

The Board has vacated multiple decisions related to various service connection claims, including those for coronary artery disease, a scar, and peripheral neuropathy. The issues of service connection for diabetes mellitus, bilateral hearing loss, glaucoma, erectile dysfunction, prostate disability, skin rash, and peripheral neuropathy have been remanded.

The Board has decided that another remand is necessary before the matter of the Veteran's entitlement to a TDIU can be adjudicated. The RO must obtain an opinion from a qualified clinician regarding the functional impact of the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities, in combination, on his employability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, Parkinson’s-like motor symptoms, DMII, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to herbicide exposure. The claims are being remanded for further development including obtaining medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's chronic renal disease is secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. As such, service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board granted his claim for total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for substitution purposes.

The Veteran's tinea unguium, right eye disability, vertigo, polyarthralgia (fibromyalgia), CFS, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, diabetes mellitus, and liver condition are all granted as service-connected.,Service connection is established for these conditions based on their direct relationship to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him so helpless as to need regular aid and attendance or permanently confined to his immediate premises, thus denying the claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance or an account of being housebound.

The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection and related benefits. The Board finds insufficient evidence to make a decision regarding his discharge upgrade, which could affect the effective dates.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence and a missed VA examination. The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus is being reviewed for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral vascular disease of the lower extremities and hypertension are remanded due to a lack of presumptive service connection based on herbicide exposure. The VA is requested to obtain medical opinions regarding whether these conditions were related to his in-service herbicide agent exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to difficulties in obtaining relevant private treatment records. The issues remain unresolved and need further development.

The Veteran's diabetic retinopathy is granted as secondary to his service-connected diabetes. The issue of increased rating for chronic diarrhea and service connection for renal disease (kidney) are both remanded.,Chronic diarrhea was not found to be related to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes in this decision.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, chronic kidney disease as secondary to hypertension, heart disease as secondary to hypertension, and diabetes mellitus type II as secondary to hypertension. The Veteran's conditions are found to be proximately due or aggravated by his service-connected hypertension.

The Board has denied service connection for a cervical spine disability and diabetes mellitus, finding that the evidence does not support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his naval service in the territorial waters of Vietnam.