Diabetes decisions — 2010

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and thus denied service connection for this condition. The other claims were also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, particularly his bilateral knee disabilities and gout, prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board finds that the Veteran set foot in the Republic of Vietnam during his active service, qualifying him for presumptive service connection for diabetes as a result of herbicide exposure. As such, the claim is granted.

The Veteran's Type II diabetes mellitus is denied as not incurred in or aggravated by active military service. The residuals of right ankle injury, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine with a compression fracture at the first lumbar vertebra, and left clavicle fracture are evaluated based on their current manifestations.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is manifested by use of insulin and a restricted diet, but does not require regulation of activities. The claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus with associated hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and diabetic nephropathy is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's Type II Diabetes Mellitus requires daily insulin and a restricted diet, but does not warrant a higher rating as it does not meet all criteria for a 40% disability rating under DC 7913. The claim was denied.

The Veteran's hypertension and diabetes mellitus, type II, were not shown to be related to service or any service-connected disability. The Board found no evidence of in-service disease or injury that could lead to these conditions.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and related secondary conditions due to a lack of evidence showing herbicide exposure during service or current disabilities resulting from such exposure.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, and his bilateral retinopathy does not warrant a compensable rating. The claim for TDIU was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, cardiac arrest due to pneumonia with an unclear etiology, was substantially or materially related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's cause of death is attributed to atherosclerotic vascular disease, and diabetes mellitus is listed as a significant contributory condition. The Board finds that additional evidence is required to adjudicate this matter due to the lack of information on the specific type of diabetes mellitus he had.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back disorder, hypertension, and Type II diabetes mellitus due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active service.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for service-connected type II diabetes mellitus remains before the Board. The issue also includes separate compensable ratings for his bilateral upper extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The case is being remanded again due to incomplete development.

The Veteran's death was not caused by VA treatment, and his conditions were not service-connected. The Board found no evidence of negligence on the part of VA in providing care.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for diabetes mellitus, claimed as due to herbicide exposure in Japan, is being remanded for further development and review.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for diabetes mellitus, including as a result of herbicide exposure. The specific issue is whether the USS Ponchatoula docked in Vietnam during the relevant time period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and hypertension are all granted. The Veteran is presumed to have been exposed to herbicides in Thailand during his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease during his active duty or presumptive exposure to herbicides. The Board also found that the Veteran did not have symptoms prior to September 2004 and that his diagnosis occurred during inactive duty training.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not related to service or his service-connected DM, and thus denied both claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for hepatitis C and diabetes mellitus as secondary to hepatitis C are being remanded due to the submission of new evidence. The PTSD claim is also being remanded for a supplemental statement of the case.