VA Conditions Secondary to Diabetes
Many veterans receive disability benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for service-connected diabetes. However, diabetes also increases a person’s risk of developing other health issues, and affected veterans often develop secondary conditions. These secondary conditions can qualify a veteran for an increased rating and additional benefits. The more you know about common complications and how the VA rates them, the better prepared you will be to file a claim.
If you have developed a condition secondary to your service-connected diabetes, Veterans Guide can assist you with a secondary claim to increase your VA disability rating and access additional benefits and compensation.
What Are Secondary Conditions to Diabetes?
A secondary condition is an injury or illness that develops or worsens due to a primary service-connected disability. The secondary condition does not need to be service-connected but must have a direct connection to the primary issue.
Diabetes affects multiple bodily functions, including the cardiovascular, nervous, renal, and digestive systems. Therefore, the disease puts patients at risk of developing various secondary conditions. For example, fluctuating blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels throughout the body, causing issues ranging from kidney disease to skin conditions. Damage to the peripheral nerves can add to these issues, leading to heart issues and sexual health problems. Many of these conditions qualify for disability compensation through the VA.
Common Secondary Conditions to Diabetes
The most common secondary conditions related to diabetes include the following:
- Peripheral neuropathy, or nerve damage: Diabetes frequently causes a buildup of sugar in the bloodstream. Sustained high blood sugar levels can injure nerves throughout the body, most commonly in the legs and feet. Early symptoms of neuropathy include numbness, tingling, pain, and sensitivity.
- Kidney dysfunction: The high blood sugar associated with diabetes can damage blood vessels in the kidneys, limiting their ability to filter waste. Approximately one in three adults with diabetes develops kidney disease.
- Diabetic retinopathy: When high blood sugar affects blood vessels in the eyes, it can damage the retina, a thin layer of tissue responsible for sending image signals to the brain. Retinopathy results from this damage and may cause vision loss, but early detection can help with management.
- Other eye conditions: Because of increased nerve and circulation issues, individuals with diabetes are 2 to 5 times more likely to get cataracts, which cloud the eye’s lens and can cause vision loss. Diabetes also nearly doubles a patient’s risk of developing open-angle glaucoma, which results from damage to the optic nerve,
- Erectile dysfunction: Over time, damage to the nerves and blood vessels can cause erectile dysfunction secondary to diabetes. Blood sugar control and medications may help.
- Cardiac conditions: Long-term damage to blood vessels and nerves, including those in the heart and brain, can predispose a patient with diabetes to a variety of heart conditions, including coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke.
- Atherosclerosis: Research shows that Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes increase the risk of atherosclerosis, or plaque buildup in the arteries. Causes include elevated blood glucose, inflammation, and widespread cellular damage.
- Hypertension: According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, two-thirds of adults with diabetes struggle with hypertension, or high blood pressure. The connection between hypertension and diabetes stems from high sugar-induced blood vessel damage and diabetes-related fluid buildup.
- Peripheral vascular disease: This condition involves narrowing or blockages in the arteries in the arms and legs. Due to the high incidence of atherosclerosis, the risk of peripheral vascular disease is more than double in patients with diabetes.
- Skin conditions: Diabetes increases a patient’s risk of multiple skin infections and conditions due to the impact of high blood pressure on nerves and blood vessels. Common skin conditions secondary to diabetes include diabetic dermopathy, necrobiosis lipoidica, and ringworm.
VA Disability Ratings for Diabetes and Its Secondary Conditions
The VA rates each disabling condition using its schedule of criteria. It assesses each condition based on how severely it affects the veteran’s daily functioning and ability to work. Ratings for diabetes mellitus are listed below and depend on the intensity of management and whether the veteran regularly experiences complications:
| VA Disability Rating for Diabetes | |
|---|---|
| 10% | Manageable with a restricted diet, no insulin necessary |
| 20% | Requires a restricted diet and either an oral medication or daily insulin injection |
| 40% | Requires a restricted diet, regulated activities, and insulin injection at least daily |
| 60% | Requires insulin, restricted diet, and regulation of activities, while still causing symptomatic episodes requiring at least one hospitalization per year or two provider visits per month |
| 100% | Requires intense management, including avoidance of strenuous activity, and causes at least three hospitalizations annually or weekly provider visits, plus additional complications |
The VA evaluates each secondary condition separately. If you experience complications that do not qualify for individual ratings, the VA can consider them as part of your overall primary rating.
Ratings for Common Secondary Conditions
The following are the rating ranges for common conditions secondary to diabetes:
| VA Disability Ratings for Diabetes Complications | |
|---|---|
| Kidney dysfunction | 30% to 100%, assuming chronic disease, depending on filtration rate and need for interventions |
| Diabetic retinopathy | 10% |
| Cardiac conditions | 10% to 100%, depending on the condition and the effect of stress on cardiac function |
| Hypertension | 10% to 60%, depending on blood pressure measurements and medication requirements |
| Other eye conditions | 10% to 60% based on evaluation criteria for eye diseases, depending on impairment |
When rating multiple conditions, including secondary ones, the VA rates each condition separately and then uses a combined ratings chart to determine a new overall rating. If your secondary condition does not qualify for a secondary rating, you may still be eligible to increase your disability rating. Possible approaches include:
- Appealing your original claim and submitting evidence of the new symptoms
- Filing a new claim for a primary condition
- Applying for Total Disability based on Individual Employability, or TDIU, which can entitle you to the equivalent benefits provided for a 100% rating
A benefits professional can help you determine what works best for you.
Common Questions About VA Conditions Secondary to Diabetes
Can I Get VA Disability for Conditions Related to Diabetes That Are Not Listed?
If your secondary condition is not eligible for a separate secondary rating, the VA can assess it as a complication of your diabetes . Depending on your overall disability level, this approach may qualify you for a higher rating.
Do I Need To Prove That My Diabetes Caused My Secondary Condition?
To qualify for a VA disability rating, your service-connected diabetes must have either caused or exacerbated your secondary condition. You will need to submit records documenting an official diagnosis. While not required, a nexus letter from a credentialed provider confirming the direct connection to your diabetes can be particularly valuable evidence.
How Do I Appeal if My Secondary Condition Claim Is Denied?
Maximize Your VA Rating With Secondary Conditions
Secondary conditions are prevalent among veterans with diabetes. Understanding these conditions can help you take action and file a claim with the VA. Whether you file a new or secondary claim, a new or exacerbated condition may qualify you for a higher rating.
The filing process can feel complicated, but Veterans Guide is here to help. We can walk you through your options, help you gather evidence, and file the correct paperwork for you. Whether you have a new claim, a secondary claim, or an appeal of denial, we’re ready to assist you in pursuing the benefits you deserve.
Get access to the full VA benefits you’ve earned. Contact us today to learn how we can help.
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