Citation Nr: 20021626 Decision Date: 03/26/20 Archive Date: 03/26/20 DOCKET NO. 15-37 157 DATE: March 26, 2020 REMANDED The claim of entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran had active service from October 1990 to October 2000. His claim comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal of a November 2011 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rating decision. The Board denied this claim in November 2018. The Veteran then appealed the Board's decision to the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (Court). In September 2019, the Court granted a Joint Motion for Partial Remand (joint motion) requesting that the Board's decision be vacated and remanded this matter to the Board for action consistent with the terms of the joint motion. Entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus The Veteran seeks service connection for diabetes mellitus on either a direct basis, as initially manifesting in service as frequent urination, headaches and a tendency to heal slowly, or secondary basis, as related to his service-connected sleep apnea. To substantiate the latter theory, the Veteran has submitted an article discussing a study that hints at the possibility of a link between the sleepiness associated with sleep apnea and diabetes. To date, no VA examiner has evaluated the Veteran’s diabetes or addressed these theories of entitlement. The matter is REMANDED for the following action: 1. Afford the Veteran a VA examination. The examiner should review all pertinent documents of record, including the Veteran’s service and post-service treatment records and June and August 2010 written statements and the October 2009 article from Thorax titled, “Sleepiness from Sleep Apnea Linked to Diabetes”. The examiner should record in detail the Veteran’s history of frequent urination, headaches, tendency to heal slowly, sleep apnea and diabetes. Accepting as competent the Veteran’s reports of any relevant lay-observable symptoms, the examiner should opine whether the Veteran’s diabetes mellitus initially manifested in service, including as frequent urination, headaches and/or tendency to heal slowly, or is at least as likely as not (50 percent probability or greater) otherwise related to service. (Continued on the next page)   If not, focusing on the article the Veteran submitted, the examiner should opine whether the Veteran’s diabetes mellitus is proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated by, his service-connected obstructive sleep apnea. The examiner should provide rationale for each opinion. LESLEY A. REIN Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board L. N., Counsel The Board’s decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.