Diabetes decisions — 2008

The veteran withdrew his appeal on all the issues listed.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are denied as the evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or disease, and no current disability is shown.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied service connection for Type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart disability, both claimed due to exposure to Agent Orange. The veteran did not have documented service in the Republic of Vietnam, nor was he exposed to herbicides there. There is no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after service.

The veteran is granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity (secondary to diabetes), and erectile dysfunction (secondary to diabetes) with effective dates starting from June 5, 2005.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bronchitis, Graves disease, diabetes mellitus (claimed as secondary to Graves disease), heart disease (claimed as secondary to Graves disease), and residuals of injuries of the eyes, to include loss of vision. The reasons were that these conditions did not manifest during active service or are not related to any in-service event.

The Board has remanded the issues of hypertension and arthritis for further development. The status of hypertension is unknown, while the arthritis issue requires additional medical examination to determine if it is related to service.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for diabetes mellitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development of medical records.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and assigned a 20% disability rating for diabetes mellitus, effective March 18, 2005. The veteran's claim of increased rating for type II diabetes mellitus is remanded to the RO.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate notice and the need for a medical opinion regarding whether the veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus caused his death.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for service connection for pancreatitis. The claim for secondary service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus is also granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and right elbow bony exostosis, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The veteran's diabetes requires insulin but does not have restrictions on activities or complications warranting a higher rating. His right elbow condition is currently rated at 10 percent.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess his diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, heart disability, amputation of the right foot, and amputations of the left great toe and little toe. The appeals were decided on a direct basis without any presumption or secondary service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy or stomach problems, and thus cannot establish service connection for these conditions. The Board also found that depression is secondary to his diabetes mellitus, but hypertension and hepatitis B are not related to either service or diabetes. Therefore, service connection is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including verification of exposure to herbicides and asbestos in service, as well as VA examinations to determine the relationship between current disabilities and service.

The Board found that the veteran's cause of death, vascular collapse due to arteriosclerotic heart and vascular disease, was not caused or contributed to by a service-connected disability. The Board also determined that diabetes mellitus and polymyositis were not related to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus, finding that there was no evidence to show it had onset during or as a result of his military service.

The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure and denied service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus due to herbicide exposure. The veteran's coronary artery disease was not shown to be proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disability.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as stress) with the assigned initial ratings of 30 percent each.