Thyroid disorder decisions — 2018

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, and depression are all granted service connection.,Service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, arthritis of the right hand, arthritis of the left hand, fibromyalgia, cervical spine disability, thoracic spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, hypothyroidism, and a sleep-related disability (including obstructive sleep apnea) are remanded.

The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome is granted service connection, and the rating for hypothyroidism remains at 10 percent. The psychiatric disorder claim is remanded.

The Board has granted the reopening of the Veteran's claim for service connection for Parkinson's disease, but denied all other claims due to lack of evidence supporting exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's claims for vertigo, heart disorder, circulation disorder, kidney disorder (including renal failure), and thyroid disorder are all denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or a relationship to service.,The Veteran's claim for heart disorder is denied because the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that it began during active service or is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The Veteran was not exposed to herbicide agents and ionizing radiation during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for erectile dysfunction on a secondary basis to his service-connected Hodgkin's disease and hypothyroidism, finding that the evidence did not support a nexus between these conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus, hypothyroidism, and left ulnar neuropathy have been granted service connection. The Veteran’s tinnitus is presumed due to in-service noise exposure, her hypothyroidism is presumptively related to military service, and her left ulnar neuropathy is associated with a history of elbow problems not related to spinal conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration. Specifically, they need to address service connection for a low back disorder, as well as what initial rating is warranted for posttraumatic stress disorder since May 9, 2008.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability due to new evidence submitted since the December 2008 rating decision. The claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, bladder cancer, and hypothyroidism are also REMANDED as there is insufficient medical evidence on file to make a determination.

The Veteran's physical and mental disabilities necessitate the aid and attendance of another person to assist with some activities of daily living and protect him from ordinary hazards. The Board has determined that he meets the criteria for special monthly pension benefits based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are service-connected, but her joint pain, muscle aches, dizziness, chronic fatigue with sleep difficulty, thyroid cancer, bilateral lower extremity neurological condition (RLS), and acquired psychiatric disorder are not service-connected.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including CML, colon polyps, sinus disease, thyroid nodules, stomach nodules, and arthritis (all joints), all claimed as due to herbicide agent exposure in Vietnam. The evidence did not support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for ischemic heart disease, hypertension, fatty liver, and thyroid disorder due to a lack of VA examinations and outstanding treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating higher than 10 percent for hypothyroidism is being remanded due to inadequate examination and review of the evidence.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining relevant medical records and opinions regarding service connection for various conditions.

The Board denied service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, dysthymic disorder, and hypothyroidism. Service connection was not granted based on exposure to herbicide agents or other chemicals due to lack of evidence of such exposure. The Board also denied TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for high blood pressure, prostate disability, diabetes, and thyroid disability due to exposure to herbicides. The records need to be searched again as there is insufficient information in the previous decision regarding the Veteran's claimed exposure at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.

Service connection was denied for glaucoma, DM and a rating in excess of 10 percent for hypothyroidism. The Veteran's glaucoma is not service-connected as it did not manifest during or within one year after service discharge. Service connection for DM was also denied due to lack of evidence showing its onset during service or within the first post-service year. Hypothyroidism has been rated at 10 percent since 1993, and the Board found that symptoms are consistent with a 10 percent disability rating.,DM was not shown in active service or for many years thereafter; nor was it shown to be manifested to a compensable degree during the first post-service year or to be otherwise related to service. Hypothyroidism has been rated at 10 percent since 1993, and the Board found that symptoms are consistent with a 10 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for hypothyroidism was denied.,The request for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for depressive disorder was also denied.,The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted.

Service connection for adverse reaction to vaccine and hypothyroidism is denied as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions began during service or are related to in-service events.

The Veteran's appeal regarding effective dates for increased ratings for hypothyroidism, right hand carpal tunnel syndrome, low back disability, and right shoulder adhesive capsulitis was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show the conditions were of severity warranting the requested earlier effective dates prior to January 2, 2015.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were filed on June 25, 2010, and the RO assigned the current effective dates based on VA examination findings from January 2015.