Diabetes decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that the appellant's diabetes mellitus may have manifested during her period of active duty for training, and she is seeking service connection for this condition. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and a VA examination to determine if the appellant's current diagnosis of diabetes mellitus had its onset during her ACDUTRA.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have been shown to prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was not exposed to herbicides during service, and thus cannot establish service connection for diabetes mellitus type II or recurrent hyperparathyroidism on a presumptive basis. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and a skin disease. The claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability was not addressed as it is related to another issue.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II is granted due to exposure to herbicide agents during his active duty in Vietnam. The issue of entitlement to a compensable initial rating for degenerative joint disease of the right elbow has been withdrawn by the Veteran. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and depression, is granted based on presumed exposure to Agent Orange.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II with nephropathy and erectile dysfunction is currently evaluated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that his disability does not warrant a higher rating as it does not result in regulation of activities.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied the remaining claims, including those related to diabetes mellitus type II. The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities is remanded due to conflicting statements regarding his military duties.

The case is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a general medical examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities. The TDIU claim will be reconsidered after resolving any issues related to hypertension.

The Board found that the reduction in evaluation from 100% to 60% was proper due to lack of material improvement in the Veteran's physical condition, despite her kidney transplant.

The Veteran is granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, presumed due to exposure to Agent Orange. Service connection for hypertension and hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unemployable, and the Board has granted entitlement to TDIU.

The Veteran's death was caused by end stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with significant contributing conditions including arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, diabetes, lung carcinoma, hypertension, and atrial fibrillation. Service connection for the cause of his death is granted.,The claim for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is dismissed as the Veteran's death was not service-connected.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to determine if the Veteran's death was caused by VA-administered cortisone injection and whether there was fault on VA's part in administering the injection.

The Board found that diabetes mellitus was not incurred or aggravated by active service and may not be presumed to have been incurred during active duty. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has granted the petition to reopen a final disallowed claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding herbicide exposure at Eglin AFB, and requests additional information from the U.S. Army Ranger Training Brigade and VA C&P service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and new and material evidence, finding that no new or material evidence had been submitted to reopen his claim of service connection for diabetic retinopathy. The other claims were also denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II with erectile dysfunction. The appeal was based on the argument that the initial grant of service connection and the subsequent confirmation of the 20 percent rating were clearly and unmistakably erroneous.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining updated VA medical records, SSA records related to SSI benefits, and a VA examination. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Veteran's service-connected Type II diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that this rating adequately reflects his disability level.