Diabetes decisions — 2006

The Board has determined that the veteran's current gastrointestinal disorder (GERD) is service-connected, but his stomach ulcer, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus are not service-connected.

The Board found no evidence of service connection for diabetes mellitus due to Agent Orange exposure, and denied the claim. For bilateral hearing loss, the Board noted current diagnoses but could not establish a nexus between the condition and active military service.

The veteran's initial service-connected Type II diabetes mellitus requires insulin and a restricted diet, but does not require regulation of his activities or avoidance of strenuous occupational and recreational activities. The RO denied the claim for an increased disability rating.

The veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus, type II was denied by the Board. The RO had previously granted service connection and assigned a 20 percent rating effective to March 25, 2003.

The Board denied a disability rating greater than 40 percent for diabetes mellitus, finding that the veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus does not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on the evidence of record.

The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the veteran's current heart, diabetes, and hypertension conditions and his military service. The residuals from his abdominal surgery in 1996 are not related to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II as it was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in active military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his service-connected coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities. The RO assigned staged evaluations based on the severity of each condition.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current disability of diabetic nephropathy and thus denied his claim for service connection as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and requesting a VA physician's opinion on whether the veteran's type II diabetes mellitus was related to his death from pancreatic islet cell carcinoma.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and prostate cancer. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, peripheral neuropathy secondary to Diabetes Mellitus Type II, and a TDIU due to lack of medical evidence supporting these claims.

The Board found that the veteran's diabetic retinopathy did not warrant service connection as it was pre-existing and aggravated by his active duty, but not incurred or aggravated during service.

The veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus is rated at 40 percent, effective from February 17, 2003. The Board has remanded the issue of whether his osteomyelitis is secondary to his diabetes for further development.

The Board found that the veteran did not have PTSD due to combat events and there was no credible supporting evidence for claimed stressors. The VA examiner concluded the veteran does not currently suffer from PTSD. For diabetes mellitus, the Board determined the veteran is not entitled to presumptive service connection based on herbicide exposure as he did not serve in Vietnam or other areas where Agent Orange use occurred. Therefore, the claim for diabetes mellitus was also denied.

The veteran is seeking service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2, diabetic neuropathy, and diabetic retinopathy as a result of herbicide exposure. The case has been remanded to obtain additional information regarding the veteran's claimed Vietnam service and any potential herbicide exposure.

The Board found that diabetes mellitus, Type II, was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not shown to be causally related to service. The veteran's exposure to Agent Orange during service could not be confirmed.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the veteran's diabetes mellitus from May 8, 2001, as it did not require insulin use or restricted diet and activities.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension is unrelated to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for inservice exposure to herbicides, including Agent Orange due to the presumption of exposure. The veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, headaches, and a lumbosacral disorder were also denied as there was no positive association between these conditions and his military service.