Diabetes decisions — 2010

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, diagnosed as bipolar disorder, was found to be etiologically related to his period of active service. The Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is being remanded for additional development to determine if it was caused or aggravated by service, including elevated blood glucose levels.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional development, including obtaining an updated VA examination and addressing inconsistencies in previous medical records.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal regarding the claim for service connection for type II diabetes, which was denied due to herbicide exposure. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for essential hypertension and diabetes mellitus, type II as they are not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and ischemic heart disease are denied as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides or other causative factors.

The Veteran's claimed bilateral arm and finger disorder, as well as his diabetes mellitus, were not incurred or aggravated during service. The Board denied the claims for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a bone ulcer of the right shin, diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, and left knee disability. The evidence did not establish that these conditions were related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's coronary artery disease is not caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The initial evaluations for diabetes mellitus and diabetic neuropathy of the left lower extremity were denied.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II due to herbicide exposure and bilateral hearing loss based on in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a lumbar spine condition, diabetes mellitus, rosacea, bilateral hip condition, onychomycosis, urticaria (urticaria), sinusitis, and fatigue were all denied. The claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for urticaria was granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute to his death. The VA and VHA medical opinions were considered, with the VA physicians' opinions being given more weight due to their basis in clinical findings and rationale.

The Veteran's current cardiac condition, including coronary artery disease (CAD), has been aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Board finds that the criteria for secondary service connection have been met.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the appellant is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities. The claim will be reviewed again after these steps are completed.

The Veteran's service-connected Type II Diabetes Mellitus is currently rated at 10 percent, retroactively effective from January 11, 2005. The claim for a higher initial rating has been granted.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus was denied as his condition did not require limiting or regulating activities, which is necessary for a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II, is currently rated at 20 percent and his hypertension prior to January 7, 2009, is not shown to meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Board finds that neither condition presents such an exceptional or unusual disability picture as to render impractical the application of the regular schedular standards.

The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus was not incurred in or aggravated by service and cannot be presumed to have been so. The criteria for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for status post arthroplasty, right fifth toe, are not met.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected diabetes mellitus was denied as the evidence did not show that he required regulation of activities due to his diabetes.

The Board found no evidence of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and denied the claim.