Diabetes decisions — 2009

The Veteran's respiratory symptoms are attributed to COPD, not asbestosis. The Board denied service connection for asbestosis and related conditions due to lack of evidence linking the current disability to service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum rating available under the applicable diagnostic code. The impotence and residuals of prostate cancer are not service-connected or do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board denied claims for service connection for diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and a disability manifested by open sores on the left leg due to lack of current diagnoses.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of diabetes mellitus was denied as the evidence did not show that his diabetes was present prior to May 9, 1995.

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diabetes mellitus, and macromastia are not related to service. The claims for these conditions were denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, myopathy, and sensory peripheral neuropathy were not incurred or aggravated by his military service, including as secondary to Agent Orange exposure. The claims are therefore denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone do not preclude him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment during the period of September 17, 2004 through May 8, 2006.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus was not present in service or for a number of years thereafter, and is not etiologically related to service. The Board denied the claim as there is no evidence of herbicide exposure during service.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension, which he contends was caused by his diabetes mellitus. The Board has decided to remand the case for a new VA examination and opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's hypertension and his service-connected diabetes.

The Veteran's claim is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his diabetes mellitus, including whether it requires insulin and restricted diet or activity regulation.

The Board denied entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 and declined to reopen the claim of entitlement to an increased rating for pes planus, as well as service connection for low back and right hip disorders secondary to pes planus.

The Board has remanded the case for further action, including scheduling a Travel Board hearing and verifying the Veteran's current address.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for diabetes mellitus, type II is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board is considering whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, scleredema of the back, coronary artery disease, hypertension, blindness due to diabetic retinopathy, and a bilateral foot disorder. The appeal involves determining if these conditions are related to exposure to herbicide.

The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus was not incurred in or aggravated by his active service and denied his claim.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than May 8, 2001 for the grant of service connection for bilateral diabetic retinopathy secondary to diabetes mellitus type II is denied as there was no formal or informal claim prior to February 2003. The effective date cannot be earlier than the liberalizing law and cannot be retroactive for more than one year from the date of application.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, finding that there is no competent medical evidence demonstrating a current disability and concluding that his diabetes mellitus, type II, is unrelated to his military service.

The Veteran's hypertension, PTSD, and diabetes mellitus were not incurred in service. The Board found no evidence of an in-service stressor for PTSD and denied the claim based on lack of credible supporting evidence. Service connection was also denied for diabetes mellitus as there is no evidence of herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions related to his active service. The claims for sinusitis, nervous condition with tremors, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus, neck injury, right ankle injury, left knee injury, and numbness of the head are all denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining STRs and SSA records, and for a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected hypertension with hypertensive retinopathy.