Diabetes decisions — 2004

The Board found that the veteran's diabetes mellitus required treatment with insulin and a restricted diet, but not regulation of activities to control it. Therefore, the criteria for a higher rating were not met.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the RO denying his claims for increased ratings and temporary total ratings. The diabetes mellitus claim remains pending.

The Board found that diabetes mellitus with peripheral neuropathy was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been incurred or aggravated therein. The claim for psychiatric disability was reopened based on the submission of new evidence.

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

The RO granted initial 10 percent ratings for coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction, as well as residuals of a cerebral vascular accident with hemorrhage, all secondary to the veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus Type 2. The veteran's claim for increased rating for diabetes mellitus Type 2 was not addressed in this decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information and need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to incomplete service medical records, including those from VA facilities in Big Springs, Dallas, and Lubbock, Texas. The veteran's claims for service connection are related to his exposure to herbicides while serving in the DMZ in Korea.

The veteran's claim for restoration of a 40 percent evaluation for service-connected diabetes mellitus was granted, effective from July 9, 2001.

The Board has restored service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension, finding that the original grant was not based on fraud or lack of requisite service or character of discharge.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural deficiencies and the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for VA examinations.

The veteran claims his diabetes mellitus is related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The VA needs to verify if the veteran served in Vietnam and conduct further development to determine eligibility for presumptive service connection.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for compliance with the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 (VCAA) and for further development.

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

The Board found that the veteran's current diagnosis of Type II diabetes mellitus is presumed to have resulted from his Vietnam service due to herbicide exposure, and granted his claim for service connection.

The veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, bilateral plantar fasciitis, vascular malformation of the right forearm, ulcerative colitis, tinea cruris and onychomycosis of the toenails, and panic disorder and major depression are all denied.,Service connection is granted for tinea pedis (toenail fungus) based on service connection already established.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 1, 2001 for a TDIU rating as it was not factually ascertainable that he became individually unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities before this date.

The veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, a skin condition, and sarcoid arthritis are being remanded due to incomplete verification of his exposure to Agent Orange during active duty.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of an injury to the scrotum, hypertension, and diabetes as there was no evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus Type II, diabetic retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy, diabetic periodontitis, and hypertension are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence regarding his exposure in Vietnam.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the veteran was exposed to acoustic trauma during service and experiences a constant ringing in his ears. The other claims are not addressed as they were not decided by the RO.