Diabetes decisions — 2009

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right arm and shoulder disability, claimed as secondary to his left shoulder disability, cannot be reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. The claims for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy of the BUE, psychiatric disability, vision loss, hypertension, sexual dysfunction, and bilateral feet problems are all denied.

The Board has granted an effective date of November 21, 2002 for the grant of SMC based on the need for aid and attendance due to the appellant's disabilities rendering her unable to care for herself.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus on an extraschedular basis is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding the Veteran's claimed exposure to chemical agents in service, including DDT, TCE, and PCE. The Veteran is also asked to provide additional lay or written evidence regarding his alleged exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and further development.

The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death was not related to his service-connected disabilities, including his cold injuries. The preponderance of evidence indicated that the Veteran's coronary artery disease did not stem from his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of recent medical evidence. The TDIU claim will be reconsidered with new information about his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for PTSD and hypertension, as well as his claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, have been dismissed due to the Veteran indicating that he is satisfied with the recent increases in ratings.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for diabetes mellitus has been withdrawn. The Board finds that a 20 percent evaluation is warranted for the Veteran's service-connected hemorrhoids.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities as secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including osteoarthritis of the right hip and knee, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease (claimed as a heart disorder), left hip dislocation, ocular hypertension, urethra neuritis, and prostate cancer. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart disability, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The claims for secondary service connection are denied as there is no evidence that these conditions are related to a service-connected disability.

The Veteran is granted special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to multiple service-connected disabilities. However, he does not qualify for housebound benefits as his combined disability rating exceeds 60%.

The Board has remanded the case back to the RO for further development regarding herbicide exposure and service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II is being remanded due to the need for additional personnel records and further development of his claims.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for diabetic retinopathy was denied as there is no evidence of any prior unadjudicated formal or informal claims and no factually ascertainable evidence of diabetic retinopathy manifest before February 2, 2002.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, heart condition, neuropathy of the lower extremities, arthritis of the right leg and arthritis of the back, all related to exposure to herbicide. The decision also noted that sleep apnea was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and secondary service connection for peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities, finding that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to their death. The Board cannot proceed with the merits of this case as the appellant is deceased.