Diabetes decisions — 2007

The Board found that the veteran's service and/or a service-connected disability did not cause or contribute substantially to his death. The appellant argued for presumptive service connection based on herbicide exposure, but the Board determined that there was insufficient evidence to establish Type II diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and hyperopic astigmatism of both eyes as secondary to diabetes mellitus due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by military service.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluation of diabetes mellitus, service connection for optic neuritis and peripheral neuropathy are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations. The claim for reopening a previously denied toe removal claim is also being remanded.

The veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, Type II, with neuropathy is rated at 20% and his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the right wrist with periostitis and ulnar impingement is rated at 10%. The other claims for increased ratings are denied. Service connection for hypertension remains pending.

The veteran's service-connected PTSD was rated at 30 percent, and the Board found that this rating adequately reflected his disability. The appellant did not meet the criteria for a TDIU based on her husband's service-connected disabilities.

The veteran is seeking service connection for diabetes mellitus, which he claims was caused by exposure to Agent Orange during his military service. The Board has determined that additional development of the record is needed to determine if the veteran served with a unit in Korea that would have been subject to herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of private medical expenses due to VA facilities being feasibly available and because the treatment was non-emergent.

The veteran's claims for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension were denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.,Service connection was not granted for PTSD due to lack of a verified inservice stressor.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed disabilities, including diabetes mellitus, poor circulation, bilateral eye disorder, left knee disability, chronic liver disorder, nephropathy, pancreas disorder, osteoarthritis, and hypertension, were not incurred or aggravated during his period of active military service.

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal for the increased rating of diabetes mellitus, Type II.

For the period prior to August 15, 2003, the veteran's GERD was asymptomatic and well-controlled. After this date, symptoms of regurgitation and pyrosis were noted but did not meet criteria for a higher rating.,The veteran's diabetes mellitus required insulin and a restricted diet but did not restrict his activities. The disability due to status postoperative bilateral bunionectomies with flat feet was rated at 30 percent, as there was no evidence of marked pronation or inward displacement.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, a thyroid disorder, anemia, and a pain disorder, finding no evidence of these conditions in-service or linked to service. The presumptive provisions for herbicide exposure were not applicable due to lack of service on the land mass of Vietnam.

The Board has determined that the veteran's diabetes mellitus does not warrant a rating in excess of 20 percent, as it only requires insulin and a restricted diet without requiring regulation of activities or complications.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II with diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy, hypertriglyceridemia, and insomnia due to a lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, bilateral eye disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and coronary artery disease as there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Board has denied the claim for an initial disability evaluation in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus. The issue of service connection for hypertension remains pending as it is unclear whether there was a service connection or exposure basis.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have diagnosed diabetes mellitus, right knee disability, or left knee disability. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that the effective date for the grant of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death is May 1, 2000.

The Board has determined that the veteran's asthma, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus are not etiologically related to active service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and hepatitis C are remanded due to issues related to the identification of stressors and potential medical examinations.