Diabetes decisions — 2005

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting diagnoses of diabetes mellitus and a need for further development, including obtaining medical records from 1969-2002 and providing an endocrinology examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus, a heart disorder, or neuropathy as these conditions are not shown to be related to his military service.

The veteran's diabetes mellitus requires daily insulin use, restricted diet, and limited leisure activities. The VA denied an increased rating for his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board found that the veteran's cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus did not have their onset during service or within one year of separation, and thus denied service connection for cause of death.

The Board found that the veteran's diabetes mellitus was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred in service due to herbicide exposure. The claim for secondary service connection for degenerative arthritis and intradiscal degenerative changes at L5-S1 is also denied.

The Board found that the veteran's diabetes mellitus is not due to exposure to herbicides (Agent Orange) during his service in Korea, and therefore denied service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and degenerative joint disease of the left ankle, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on his current treatment regimen.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus is being remanded due to the need for further examination and clarification of the nature and severity of his condition.

The Board denied the veteran's request for an earlier effective date of June 23, 2002, for service connection granted on a presumptive basis for diabetes mellitus.

The veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus and associated peripheral neuropathies are currently rated as 20 percent and 10 percent disabling, respectively. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for any of these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims to reopen his service connection for diabetes mellitus and heart disease, finding no new and material evidence.

The veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus were denied. The Board found that new and material evidence had been received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for COPD, mood disorder with depressive features, fatigue and weakness due to an undiagnosed illness, and heavy sweating due to an undiagnosed illness.

The veteran's initial 20 percent rating for diabetes mellitus is denied as his condition does not warrant a higher evaluation.

The veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for diabetes mellitus is being remanded due to the need for further development and clarification of the extent of his activities restricted by diabetes mellitus.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not proximately due to or the result of a condition incurred or aggravated during service, including exposure to herbicides like Agent Orange.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to confirm whether the veteran was exposed to herbicides while stationed near the DMZ in Korea. The case will be returned for further review.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service connection claims for multiple myeloma and diabetes mellitus cannot be granted as there is no evidence of exposure to herbicides in Korea, and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding of service connection.

The veteran's diabetes mellitus is presumed to have been incurred in service due to herbicide exposure. The veteran's bilateral foot disability and hypertension are not service-connected.

The Board found that diabetes mellitus was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and denied the claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, and declining eyesight due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.