Diabetes decisions — 2004

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations. The veteran's claim for TDIU remains pending.

The veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus was granted. However, his claims for compensable initial ratings for shrapnel wound scars of the right hand and left buttock were denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for schizophrenia and diabetes mellitus, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to warrant reopening the claims.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of in-service treatment for diabetes mellitus or bilateral hearing loss, and the veteran's currently diagnosed conditions are not related to service. Therefore, the claims for service connection have been denied.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations.

The veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, Type II with erectile dysfunction is being remanded due to errors in the claims file and the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has granted an increased rating for the veteran's postoperative residuals of a herniated nucleus pulposus at L5-S1, and has also granted service connection for obesity secondary to this condition. The effective date is set as November 9, 1992.

The veteran's insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus was found to have manifested within one year of his active duty, triggering the presumption of service connection. The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's diabetes mellitus requires more than one daily injection of insulin, a restricted diet, and regulation of activities (avoidance of strenuous occupational and recreational activities), resulting in a rating of 100 percent.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling VA examinations and obtaining additional medical evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected type II diabetes mellitus does not warrant a rating greater than 20 percent, as it only requires an oral hypoglycemic agent and a restricted diet.

The veteran has current disability from diabetes mellitus and had elevated levels of blood sugar in service. The RO is required to obtain additional medical records, including those from McCoy Air Force Base Hospital, and schedule a VA examination to determine the date of onset of his diabetes mellitus.

The veteran's claim for special monthly pension based on the need for aid and attendance or due to housebound status is being remanded as there are outstanding records that need to be obtained, including VA medical records from a cardiac catheterization performed in February-March 2004. Additionally, a more contemporaneous examination is needed to assess his current disabilities.

The veteran's claim for specially adapted housing assistance or a special home adaptation grant is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling an examination.

The veteran's claims for service connection for skin cancer of the nose and face, thyroid cancer, diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease were denied. The Board found that these conditions did not have their onset during active duty or for many years thereafter, were not disabling to a compensable degree during the first post-service year, and are not etiologically related to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The veteran's disability ratings do not meet the eligibility requirements for Dependents' Educational Assistance under Chapter 35, Title 38, United States Code.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at the highest possible evaluation of 50 percent. His diabetes mellitus, skin disorder, and malaria are all evaluated as non-compensable. The Board granted a 10 percent evaluation for his skin disorder. The veteran's claims for higher evaluations for diabetic neuropathy of the four extremities were denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus, finding no current disability and noting that there was insufficient evidence to establish a link between his military service and the condition.

The veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 40% and has been increased to 60%. The rating is based on the need for insulin, a restricted diet, regulation of activities, and episodes of hypoglycemic reactions requiring one or two hospitalizations per year.