Diabetes decisions — 2008

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for alcohol and drug dependence, diabetes mellitus, type 2, and major depressive disorder. The reasons given were that these conditions are not related to service.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and PTSD due to the veteran's exposure to Agent Orange during his service in Vietnam. The claim for diabetes mellitus type II was denied as there is no record of such disease during service, and the evidence did not support a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus type II. Service connection for PTSD was also denied because the stressor events were not verified by the U.S. Army & Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC).

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, a cystic kidney disorder, and a gastrointestinal disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied increased ratings for diabetic neuropathy of the lower and upper extremities, as well as service connection for PTSD (reopened) and impotence. The veteran's diabetes mellitus was rated at 20 percent, but no higher rating is granted due to lack of moderate incomplete paralysis.

The Board denied service connection for Type II Diabetes Mellitus, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, a low back disorder, and an inguinal hernia. The veteran's current conditions are not linked to his military service.

The Board granted the veteran's claims of service connection for obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, sleep apnea, depression, a skin rash, and an eye disability as secondary to his service-connected hypothyroidism.

The veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings for his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, and diabetic retinopathy have been granted with combined rating of 100 percent. As a result, there is no longer a case or controversy regarding these issues.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus, type II, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death, cardiac arrest, was not related to service-connected conditions or any other condition incurred in or aggravated by active duty. The Board concluded that diabetes mellitus did not have a causal relationship with the veteran's in-service accident and therefore could not be considered as having been caused by service.

The Board denied service connection for anemia, exposure to Agent Orange, and increased evaluations for diabetes mellitus, thyroidectomy residuals, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities. Service connection was granted for residuals of a thyroidectomy with a noncompensable rating.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or special home adaptation grant due to his inability to walk without assistance and the lack of structural adaptations needed in his home.

The Board has remanded the case due to allegations of herbicide exposure in Thailand, and further development is needed before a decision can be made on the service connection claim for type II diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection due to diabetes mellitus, type II and hypertensive cardiovascular disease; status post cardiomyopathy. The effective date of April 8, 2005 was established for both grants.

The Board has determined that service connection for coronary artery disease is not warranted as it is not etiologically related to the veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus. The initial disability rating higher than 30 percent for PTSD has also been denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, pulmonary tuberculosis, hypertension and rheumatoid arthritis as new and material evidence was not presented to reopen these claims.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining organizational logs to support the veteran's claimed exposure to herbicides while stationed at Camp Humphries.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, as well as service connection for diabetes mellitus (Type II), were denied. The veteran was not granted any new or material evidence to reopen his previously denied claims.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, is denied as there was no formal or informal claim submitted prior to August 28, 2003.

The veteran's claims for service connection for visual problems and skin disorders are denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria to establish a link between current disabilities and active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his service-connected diabetes mellitus, finding that there was no evidence of a pending claim prior to January 26, 2005 and that he did not meet all eligibility criteria for the liberalizing law adding diabetes mellitus as a presumptive disease due to herbicide exposure.