Diabetes decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer have been denied as new and material evidence was not submitted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, including as secondary to Agent Orange exposure, is being remanded due to the need for further development of evidence and a VA examination.

The Board has granted reopening of the claim for service connection for right foot disability. The Veteran's missing teeth are not considered compensable due to their replacement by dentures after service, and his diabetes mellitus is not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for financial assistance in acquiring specially-adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, type 2. As such, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board found that hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service and is not proximately due to, the result of, or chronically aggravated by service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's specific phobia of rats, which developed during service and is related to his exposure to rats in the Dominican Republic, has been granted service connection. Service connection for DMII has also been granted as secondary to PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to conflicting medical evidence and incomplete records. The Veteran's claim of entitlement to an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetic retinopathy remains on appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and determining whether his brain tumor qualifies for presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's widow is seeking service connection for various conditions, including cardiovascular disability, cold injury to the feet, diabetes mellitus, and others. The appeal is remanded due to incomplete medical records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claims for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and degenerative disc disease have been denied as there is no credible evidence showing a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to March 1, 2009 for additional compensation benefits for a dependent spouse is denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not provide information about his dependents until June 23, 2009, more than three years after he was initially granted service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss were denied. The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes was not incurred in or aggravated by his military service, nor is it secondary to his service-connected hypertension. For his bilateral hearing loss, there was no evidence of an increased disability warranting a compensable rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C and an increased rating for diabetes mellitus, finding that there was no credible evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, pes planus, peripheral artery disease, and glaucoma. The Veteran's bilateral knee disorder claim was not addressed as it is related to a different issue.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to obtain a VA examination and opinion regarding whether his service-connected disabilities render him unemployable. The case will be readjudicated after the examination.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 8, 2006 for the grant of service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, bilateral tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and ringworm of the bilateral legs was denied as there is no indication that he submitted a formal or informal claim within one year of his discharge from service. The earliest possible effective date is December 8, 2006, the day the Veteran's claims were received by the RO.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and special monthly pension are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional records, including SSA disability determination and personnel file. A VA examination is also required.

The Veteran's initial claim for higher ratings for diabetes mellitus was denied. For the period prior to March 4, 2008, his disability did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent. For the period beginning on March 4, 2008, his disability did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 40 percent.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer are denied as there is no legal basis to grant such requests.