Diabetes decisions — 2008

The veteran's claim for service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus, including as due to Agent Orange exposure, is denied. The Board found no evidence of a current diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus and concluded that the preponderance of the evidence was against the claim.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, and glaucoma. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities are sufficiently severe to meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or special home adaptation grant.

The veteran's claims for service connection for lung cancer and diabetes are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and VA medical treatment records.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his back condition and diabetes mellitus with associated neuropathy, are now shown to preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that he is unemployable due to these conditions as of August 8, 2006.

The veteran's diabetes mellitus was rated at 60 percent from April 18, 2007. The neuropathy of the right lower extremity warranted a 10 percent rating since August 14, 2003. The dermatitis of the left forearm did not meet criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board denied increased ratings for diabetes mellitus, diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy, peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity. The veteran's service-connected conditions were rated based on their direct impact without any presumption or secondary linkage.

The Board has ordered additional development to verify the veteran's claimed stressors for PTSD and obtain his VA treatment records. The case will be re-adjudicated after these actions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the veteran's heart disorder and his service-connected disabilities, as well as the evaluation of his diabetes mellitus. The veteran will need to undergo further examinations.

The veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred from March 5, 2004 to March 6, 2004 at Sarasota Memorial Hospital are denied as the treatment was not for a medical emergency.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for diabetes mellitus, which was secondary to in-service exposure to herbicides, has been dismissed due to the death of the veteran.

The Board found that the veteran's diabetes mellitus, Type II was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been incurred or aggravated therein.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, finding that there was no current diagnosis of diabetes and that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a diagnosis.

The Board has remanded the case due to unclear relationship between hypertension and diabetes mellitus, procedural issues related to secondary service connection regulations, and incomplete medical records. Further examination is required.

The veteran's appeal of increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremity, as well as his claim for erectile dysfunction have been withdrawn. The Board has dismissed these issues due to withdrawal.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II; bilateral cataracts, post operative; and residuals of penicillin sensitivity reaction. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and VA treatment records.

The veteran's diabetes mellitus, Type II, has been rated at 20 percent since May 2001. The evidence does not show that the condition requires regulation of activities or hospitalization for complications.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension is secondary to his service-connected diabetes and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the veteran's cause of death, cardiac arrest due to ischemic cardiomyopathy and diabetes mellitus, was not caused by or substantially contributed to by a service-connected disability. The appellant did not meet the criteria for DIC under provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.