Diabetes decisions — 2005

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, an eye disorder, sleep apnea, and diabetes mellitus. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service personnel records and VA medical examinations to address the etiology of the veteran's hepatitis B, diabetes mellitus, right knee injury, and ankle disabilities.

The veteran's service-connected diabetic neuropathy of the upper extremities is currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling for each extremity. The medical evidence does not support a higher evaluation.

The veteran is in need of the regular aid and attendance of another person due to his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, peripheral neuropathy, and diabetes.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations.

The veteran's PTSD and bipolar disorder claims are denied as there is no evidence of these conditions during service or in the years following service.,Service connection for missing teeth has been established, but it is only for compensation purposes.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for various conditions, including heart disease, hypertension, impotence, vision problems, prostate problems, and diabetic neuropathy of the lower extremities, all claimed as secondary to diabetes mellitus. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to service or to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus, finding no evidence of their onset in service or a link to his military service. The claim for service connection for headaches was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has granted the veteran's claims for service connection and effective dates, with some issues receiving a 'granted' disposition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's ischemic brain infarct is related to his service-connected hypertension and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted a 10 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected diabetic retinopathy, finding that it meets the criteria for such an evaluation based on active pathology.

The veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for diabetes and impotence resulting from a right iliac crest graft donor surgery performed at a VA facility in April 1994 were denied as the evidence did not show that the surgeries caused additional disability or death due to carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault on VA's part.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and service connection, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 (West 2002). The Board also denied his claims for PTSD prior to June 26, 1996 and diabetes mellitus with retinopathy.

The veteran's diabetes mellitus II warrants a 40 percent disability rating for the period between November 20, 2001 and January 8, 2002. The veteran is not entitled to an increased rating for his diabetes mellitus prior to that date or on or after January 9, 2002.

The veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, as secondary to Agent Orange exposure, is denied. The Board found no evidence of in-service exposure and negative service medical records.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for vocational rehabilitation benefits because his service-connected diabetes mellitus and right calcaneus fracture do not materially contribute to his employment handicap.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for renal disease was denied. The RO granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, effective January 24, 2001, and also granted an earlier effective date of January 24, 2001, for service connection for renal disease on the basis that it was proximately due to the service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board found that the appellant does not have any residuals of the removal of a tumor of the right ankle attributable to military service and denied his claim for service connection. The issue of an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus type II is remanded.

The veteran's death was not caused by VA carelessness, negligence, or similar fault during his last admission to the VAMC. The cause of death was due to myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure.

The veteran's diabetes mellitus is presumed to have been incurred during service. The fungus infection of the groin was not related to his military service.