Diabetes Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional development and medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, vision loss as secondary to diabetes mellitus, headaches as secondary to diabetes mellitus, a back disability, neck disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, left wrist disability, right wrist disability, and right knee disability. The reasons given were that there was no evidence of onset during qualifying service or any related disease or injury in service.,The Board also denied service connection for these conditions based on secondary service connection to diabetes mellitus, which was previously denied.

The Veteran's service connection for diabetic sensory neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities has been granted with an effective date of February 19, 2014.,Service connection for a sleep disorder, to include sleep apnea, is denied.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and is not related to his service-connected PTSD.,The Veteran's pes planus of the right foot existed pre-service and did not become worse during service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II was rated at 20 percent prior to July 27, 2015. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of regulation of activities due to his diabetes mellitus type II, and thus denied an increased rating.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted effective from August 14, 2018, as he has been unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities since at least December 2008.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus. The cases of diabetes mellitus type II and bilateral hearing loss are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his reported exposure to herbicide agents during service, as well as other issues related to diabetes and psychiatric conditions. The claims will be further developed to attempt to corroborate the Veteran’s account of in-service stressors.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, type II; hypertension; erectile dysfunction (ED); peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities; and an acquired psychiatric disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and clarification of evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU rating for the periods specified.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an eye condition was granted, but his request for a higher evaluation for his skin condition was denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, COPD, and a left eyelid disability due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their etiology. The VA is requested to obtain independent medical opinions from non-VA experts in endocrinology and internal medicine.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death due to malignant melanoma, finding that it was not caused by his in-service exposure to herbicide agents. The diabetes is also considered a contributory cause but not causative.

The Board has determined that new and relevant service records have been added to the claims file, necessitating a reconsideration of the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II; acquired psychiatric disorder; and tinnitus service connection claims. The claims are being remanded for further development including VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with diabetes mellitus, type II presumed related to exposure to herbicide agents while in service. Hypertension and erectile dysfunction are also granted as presumptive conditions. Service connection is established for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and major depressive disorder).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to non-compliance with previous remand directives, particularly regarding verification of his periods of active service, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased evaluation of PTSD was denied, as the evidence did not show occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.,The Veteran's appeal for TDIU was also denied, as his service-connected disabilities alone did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, diabetes mellitus, type II, peripheral neuropathy of bilateral upper and lower extremities, right eye diabetic retinopathy, prostatitis with urethritis, bilateral hearing loss, tinea pedis with diabetic dermopathy, and tinea cruris has been granted. Effective dates have not yet been determined for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's open angle glaucoma is caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for service-connected bilateral cataracts and diabetic retinopathy is being remanded due to incomplete records from Dr. Gupta, South Side Regional Medical Center, and Kenner Army Military Medical Center.