Diabetes decisions — 2003

The Board denied a higher initial evaluation for the service-connected diabetes mellitus, finding that the veteran's diabetes mellitus is manageable by restricted diet only and does not require insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection of diabetes mellitus, diabetic retinopathy, hypertension, and arthritis as secondary to his service-connected low back disability.

The Board has determined that the appellant requires aid and attendance in instrumental activities of daily living, such as shopping, driving, and financial matters due to his psychiatric disability. This renders him eligible for special monthly pension based on need for regular aid and attendance.

The veteran's claim for special monthly pension based on the need for aid and attendance was denied as he is not in need of regular aid and assistance due to his disabilities.

The Board found that the veteran's cause of death (congestive heart failure, due to/as a consequence of renal failure and diabetes) was not caused or aggravated by his military service.

The Board has granted increased evaluations for the veteran's service-connected conditions, including diabetes mellitus, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, left wrist DJD, right knee DJD, blastomycosis, and peptic ulcer disease with hiatal hernia and esophageal reflux.

The veteran's claim for special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another, or at the housebound rate was denied as he does not require such assistance due to his disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart disease and hearing loss disability. The claim of reopening a previously denied arthritis claim was also denied.

The Board found that the veteran's foot drop disability is not related to his service-connected pes planus and denied entitlement to service connection. The veteran was granted special monthly compensation based on loss of use of both lower extremities, but denied a total rating for individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating of 60 percent is warranted based on her current condition.

The Board found no evidence of diabetes mellitus during service or within one year following separation, and thus denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The appellant is not entitled to recognition as the veteran's surviving spouse for purposes of VA DIC benefits due to her remarriage.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, finding that it is presumed to have been incurred during the veteran's active duty in the Republic of Vietnam. The veteran was not exposed to herbicide agents like Agent Orange and therefore no presumption applies.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause his death, and there was no evidence of carelessness or negligence on VA's part. The medical complications surrounding his death were reasonably foreseeable.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus, finding that it is presumed to have been incurred in service due to exposure to herbicide agents during his Vietnam-era service.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for accrued benefits and service connection for cause of death due to a lack of competent medical evidence linking any in-service injury or disease to the conditions that caused her husband's death.

The Board determined that the veteran's death was not caused by or a result of any service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the veteran's son, R., may not be recognized as a 'helpless child' on the basis of permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining the age of eighteen.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for lipoma/cyst of the neck, cataracts, and diabetes mellitus as residuals of exposure to ionizing radiation in service. The conditions were not considered radiogenic diseases or specific to radiation-exposed veterans.

The Board denied increased disability ratings for the veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, finding that the evidence did not show the required severity prior to September 12, 1999 and from September 12, 1999 to April 22, 2002.