Diabetes decisions — 2007

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a skin condition, infertility, microhematuria, and diabetes mellitus, all of which were related to herbicide exposure. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The veteran's death was caused by his type II diabetes mellitus, a condition presumptively service-connected due to exposure to Agent Orange. The effective date for the grant of service connection for the cause of his death is set at November 1, 1996.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to diabetes mellitus type 2, which was incurred in or aggravated by military service. The claim for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is dismissed as moot.

The veteran's death was not due to his own willful misconduct, and he had service-connected disabilities that were rated as totally disabling for a continuous period of at least one year immediately preceding his death. However, the claim is denied because the veteran did not meet the requirement of having been continuously rated totally disabled by VA for 10 years or more immediately preceding his death.

The Board has determined that the veteran's coronary artery disease is aggravated by his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus, warranting service connection.,There is no evidence to support a finding of service connection for residuals from cerebrovascular accident.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, finding that it did not become manifest to a compensable degree within one year following active service and was not related to his period of active service.

The Board has granted the veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for PTSD, but finds that new and material evidence was not presented. The Board also denied the veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus.,Service connection for PTSD is not warranted as there is no diagnosis of PTSD in the medical records.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus and found that the veteran's right knee disability warrants a separate rating. The increased rating claim is remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the veteran's exposure to Agent Orange and stressors in service, as well as to clarify his diagnoses of PTSD. The case will be returned to the RO for these purposes.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions are not related to his active service and therefore denied all of his claims for service connection.

The Board finds that the veteran's surgery of the right foot in 2002 was not related to his service-connected osteoarthritis of the feet with hallux valgus, and thus does not meet the criteria for a temporary total evaluation under 38 C.F.R. § 4.30.

The veteran's claim for service connection for otitis media was denied. His claim for diabetes mellitus type II as secondary to herbicide exposure was not granted, and he received a compensable evaluation (60 percent) for his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the veteran's diabetes mellitus first manifested during his period of active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran's diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities were rated at their highest possible levels prior to July 10, 2001. The effective date for these ratings will be determined in connection with a separate issue.

The veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, but does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation as it does not require insulin, restricted diet, and regulation of activities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to September 20, 2004. The claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss as of September 20, 2004 was also denied.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to determine the nature and severity of his service-connected diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has denied service connection for tinea pedis, but the claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, and PTSD are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus as it was not shown to be incurred during active duty or due to exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. The decision found no evidence of a current disability related to service.