Diabetes decisions — 2004

The Board found that the veteran's diabetes mellitus was not incurred or aggravated by service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's diabetes mellitus, retinopathy, and nephropathy are all service-connected.

The Board found that the veteran's diabetes mellitus requires insulin and a restricted diet, but does not require regulation of activities. Therefore, an initial rating in excess of 20 percent is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for special monthly pension based on need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound due to his service-connected disabilities, as well as his non-service-connected conditions. The RO previously granted a non-service-connected pension.

The Board found that the veteran's diabetes mellitus was not incurred or aggravated by service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical examinations and ensuring compliance with the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000.

The veteran seeks service connection for diabetes mellitus, which he claims is due to exposure to Agent Orange during his military service in Vietnam. The VA has determined that there is a positive association between exposure to herbicides and Type 2 diabetes, including the veteran's case. However, further examination is needed to determine the nature of the veteran's diabetes and its relationship to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of diabetes mellitus due to herbicide exposure, finding that no prior claims were made before May 8, 2001, when VA issued a regulation allowing presumptive service connection for type II diabetes in Vietnam veterans. The earliest possible effective date is therefore May 8, 2001.

The veteran is seeking earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus, diabetic neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities. The case is being remanded to address these claims.

The VA has determined that the veteran's diabetes mellitus does not warrant a rating higher than 20 percent, as he does not require insulin therapy or regulation of activities due to his condition.

The veteran's claim for an initial evaluation of diabetes mellitus type I in excess of 20 percent is being remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and a VA examination.

The Board has found new and material evidence to reopen the veteran's claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus, which was previously denied in 1975. The appeal is now remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, chronic respiratory disorder (emphysema), and diabetes mellitus. The veteran's emphysema is presumed to have been incurred as a result of herbicide exposure during active service in the Gulf War.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, finding no evidence of exposure to herbicide agents and concluding that his current condition is not related to his military service.

The veteran is seeking compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. � 1151 for various conditions allegedly caused by VA medical treatment in May 1996, and the Board has ordered further development to determine if these claims should be granted.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his incarceration, preventing him from undergoing a VA examination. The case will be reconsidered with the possibility of granting TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death and basic eligibility for non-service-connected death pension benefits. The decision found no evidence linking any of the listed conditions to his military service.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, tinnitus, residuals of a medial meniscectomy of the right knee, and degenerative joint disease of the right knee are all rated at their maximum levels. The effective date for his total rating by reason of individual unemployability is March 9, 2000.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied across the board. The Board found no evidence of chronic conditions or injuries during service, and there was insufficient medical evidence to establish a nexus between any current disabilities and military service.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction is being remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and a more current VA examination.