Diabetes decisions — 2011

The Veteran died from UTI with E. coli and yeast, which was attributed to progressive renal failure, COPD, and diabetes mellitus.,Service connection for the cause of death is denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service. However, DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is granted due to an adverse drug reaction.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for further development and consideration of his exposure to herbicides during service, as well as additional VA medical records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, to include as due to Agent Orange exposure, was denied because he did not have service in the Republic of Vietnam and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure during his service. The Board found that the presumption of exposure does not apply to him.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for hypertension has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional evidence and opinions from a VA examiner regarding the Veteran's diabetes mellitus. The Veteran is also asked to provide any relevant information about his exposure to herbicides.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking any service-connected conditions to his death.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. The claim for service connection for PTSD remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus type II was granted, but his secondary service connection claim for hyperhidrosis was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease is granted, and his peripheral neuropathy of the upper left, right, lower right, and lower left extremities are all rated at their maximum allowable levels.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for new examinations and additional development of his claims, including service connection for diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining any form of substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation or service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart disease was granted based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents. The claim for an earlier effective date for the PTSD rating increase was denied as no evidence showed an increase in disability prior to August 24, 2005.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may it be presumed to have been so incurred. The Veteran's initial diagnosis of diabetes occurred within one year after separation from service and is therefore not considered presumptively related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, glaucoma (claimed as secondary to diabetes mellitus), asthma, and intractable plantar keratoses. The effective dates for the 20% evaluations were not granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for service connection on the merits. The RO found that there was no evidence to support the claimed conditions and that the existing evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of any condition related to his service, and therefore, the claims for service connection are denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and diabetes mellitus, finding that new and material evidence was submitted to reopen the GERD claim and that both conditions are related to his active service.