Diabetes decisions — 2002

The Board denied the veteran's appeals regarding his claims for TDIU and reopening of his diabetes mellitus claim, finding that the appeals were not timely filed.

The veteran's diabetes mellitus is presumed to be due to herbicide exposure during his service in Vietnam, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran has withdrawn his appeal for secondary service connection for diabetes mellitus, and the case is dismissed.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) for loss of use of both feet, finding that he does not have loss of use of both feet such that no effective function remains other than what would be equally well served by an amputation stump at the site of election below the knee with use of a suitable prosthetic appliance.

The Board has determined that the veteran's diabetes mellitus is presumed to have been incurred in service due to exposure to Agent Orange during his active duty in Vietnam. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus was granted an increased rating of 40 percent effective June 6, 2000, and the effective date for this increase is now set at June 6, 1996.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a Statement of the Case on the issue of burial benefits. The appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of death will be reconsidered based on all evidence of record.

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for diabetes mellitus, glaucoma, and a cardiac disability manifested by a pacemaker, claiming these conditions were not related to the VA surgery in March 1993.

The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death was due to heart and lung disease, which were not service-connected. The appellant's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and a back disorder were also denied as there is no evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service.

The veteran's disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound.

The Board denied service connection for liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension and hepatic encephalopathy, anemia, hypersplenism, Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, diabetes mellitus, chloracne, and porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT), as the preponderance of evidence does not support a link to service or any service-connected condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus based on exposure to Agent Orange, finding no evidence of such exposure and concluding that service connection is not warranted.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by hospital care, or surgical or medical treatment furnished by VA. Therefore, DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. � 1151 were denied.

The Board found that the October 3, 1978 and March 13, 1979 rating decisions denying a total disability rating based on individual unemployability were not clearly and unmistakably erroneous.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further action, including obtaining additional medical records and providing a VA staff physician with appropriate qualifications to provide medical opinions on whether diabetes and arthritis were actually manifested in service or within one year of discharge.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her husband's death, finding that his cardiovascular collapse and diabetes mellitus were not service-connected disabilities.

The Board determined that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, as no new evidence was provided that would support a finding of a nexus between the veteran's cause of death and his period of service.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for compensation benefits for proliferative diabetic retinopathy, finding no additional disability resulting from treatment at a VA medical facility in 1994.

The veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, diarrhea, low back pain, insomnia, and flashbacks as manifestations of undiagnosed illnesses are denied. The Board found that the conditions were not related to his military service.