Diabetes decisions — 2011

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a travel board hearing at the Waco RO due to his inability to travel to Washington, DC for a scheduled hearing.

The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure and denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed conditions as they are not related to his active military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and confirming any exposure to mustard gas or other chemicals during service. The Veteran's claims for hypertension and diabetes mellitus will be reconsidered based on this additional evidence.

The Veteran's lung disorder, diabetes mellitus, heart disorder, and depression have not been established as service-connected. The claims are denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for narcolepsy, high blood pressure secondary to diabetes, and impotence secondary to diabetes have been dismissed. The Board has granted service connection for these conditions as secondary to his service-connected diabetes. The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected diabetes and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities remains pending.

The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes did not start during service and is not related to his military service. As a result, the claim for service connection for diabetes was denied.

The Veteran's hepatitis C is manifested by near-constant debilitating symptoms such as fatigue, malaise, and weakness, including right side abdominal pain and tenderness. The Board has granted a 100 percent schedular rating for the service-connected HCV.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, fatigue with insomnia, and left knee disability. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule the Veteran for VA examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II, and thus grants service connection for hypertension on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's hypertension is not service-connected, and the Board finds that it was not incurred or aggravated by his active service. The Veteran does not have peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities or feet. His kidney disease has been evaluated as renal dysfunction under Diagnostic Code 7535, but there is no evidence showing albumin constant or recurring with hyaline and granular casts or red blood cells.,The Veteran's hypertension was not found to meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have diabetes mellitus or peripheral neuropathy that is attributable to military service. The claims for service connection are therefore denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus is granted as it is presumed related to his exposure to herbicides in Thailand. The claims for right knee and right hip disorders are remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for both diabetes mellitus and a heart disorder, finding that there was no evidence of such conditions during or immediately after service, and noting that any current conditions are not related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and requesting an addendum to a previous opinion regarding the Veteran's diabetes.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and diabetes, as well as a claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 due to VA treatment causing liver disability. The decision found no credible evidence of Vietnam service or exposure to Agent Orange.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent since October 13, 2005 and increased to 50 percent effective January 2, 2009.,The Veteran also has hypertension and diabetes mellitus that are not service-connected.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have diabetes mellitus or any other claimed disabilities (diabetic retinopathy, peripheral vascular disease, amputation of the right foot) that are attributable to his active military service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type I with complications of peripheral neuropathy and diabetic retinopathy has been productive of compensable neurologic and visual complications, restriction of strenuous activity and diet, and multiple hypoglycemic episodes requiring care since March 25, 2006.

The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during his service in Korea, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.