The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus (DM) was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show that his DM required regulation of activities, and thus he could only be rated at the 20 percent level.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetic nephropathy as a complication of DM was also denied. The Board noted that the evidence did not show that the Veteran had renal dysfunction or other compensable complications from his diabetes.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence showed that the Veteran required insulin, oral hypoglycemic agents, and a restricted diet to manage his DM but did not require regulation of activities. The Board found this insufficient for a higher rating.,Regarding diabetic nephropathy, the VA examination reports noted no renal dysfunction or other compensable complications from the diabetes.
- Claimed conditions
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type II, Diabetic Nephropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 2, 2019
- Citation
- 19176276
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and a psychiatric disability due to insufficient evidence of the severity required for higher ratings.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for his diabetes mellitus, a higher rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder, and a total disability rating due to service-connected disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a heart disability, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, but denied service connection for multiple tooth trauma.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case to obtain a medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD caused or aggravated his cardiovascular diseases, which were listed as contributing causes of death.
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