Diabetes decisions — 2006

The veteran is granted special monthly pension based on the need for aid and attendance of another person due to his disabilities, including senile dementia, diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, hypertension, hypothyroidism, osteoarthritis, diverticulitis, status post myocardial infarction, anemia, status post ostomy, and glaucoma.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied across the board due to lack of evidence linking any claimed conditions to his military service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for type II diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction are being remanded to the RO for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is necessary to determine the nature and etiology of the veteran's diabetes. The veteran also wishes to appeal his claim for coronary artery disease, status post coronary artery bypass graft.

The Board found that the veteran did not have diabetes mellitus during service and could not establish a link to his death due to septic shock. Therefore, service connection for both accrued benefits purposes and as the cause of death was denied.

The Board determined that the veteran's death was not proximately due to or the result of a disease or disability incurred or aggravated during service, nor may it be presumptively service connected by virtue of status as a POW, or otherwise.

The Board found that the veteran's disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly pension benefits based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person or at the housebound rate.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and initial compensable ratings for his claimed disabilities, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims based on the current medical evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II and post-operative residuals of a left knee injury are not service-connected. The low back disability is granted with a finding of in-service onset. The acneform lesions of the upper back do not meet criteria for an increased rating. Tinea pedis does not warrant a compensable rating.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting examinations to assess his PTSD and diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, tinnitus, allergy and sinus disorder, body aches, memory loss, chronic fatigue (claimed as lack of energy, tiredness, and sickness), and sleep disturbance. The veteran's symptoms were attributed to diagnosed conditions.

The veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, presumed due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam, is granted. The claim for an increased rating for residuals of L1 fracture remains denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person or at the housebound rate due to his ability to function independently in daily activities.

The Board has denied the appellant's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides and no medical opinion linking the current condition to service.

The veteran's claims for increased disability evaluation, service connection for diabetes mellitus, and service connection for a back condition were all denied. The Board found that the residuals of right inguinal hernia repair did not meet criteria for a higher rating than 10 percent. Service connection was denied for diabetes mellitus due to lack of evidence within one year post-service. And service connection was also denied for a back disorder as there is no current diagnosis.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a personal hearing before a Veterans Law Judge of the Board at the Oakland, California Regional Office. The case will be returned to the Board if further action is required.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete records and other issues.

The veteran's diabetes mellitus and hypertension were not incurred or aggravated during service, are not proximately due to a service-connected disability, and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's diabetes mellitus and a disorder characterized by diarrhea are not related to his military service, and thus denied these claims.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verification of stressors and unit histories. The veteran's claims for PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and Stargardt's disease are pending.