Diabetes decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are not related to his active service, including exposure to herbicides. Service connection for diabetes mellitus and its secondary effects on other conditions have been denied.

The Veteran's initial evaluations for diabetes mellitus, type II (20 percent) and PTSD (30 percent) have been granted.

The Veteran seeks service connection for hypertension, which he claims is secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction and coronary artery disease. The Board has determined that further development is needed to clarify the relationship between these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his representative, and the issues of entitlement to initial compensable ratings for carpal tunnel syndrome of the right upper extremity and erythema annulare centrifugum, as well as service connection for diabetes mellitus and refractive error with presbyopia have been dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case due to the appellant's failure to appear for a requested Travel Board hearing. The case is now pending and will be scheduled for another hearing.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss disability due to new evidence. The decision on diabetes mellitus remains denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities. The October 2004 rating decision denying these claims remains final.

The Board has granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and secondary service connection for end stage renal disease with hypertension, both of which are presumed to be due to the Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange during his service in Vietnam.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and related conditions are presumed to be due to herbicide exposure in Thailand. The acquired psychiatric disability is linked to the service-connected conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a disorder of the vas deferens and depression, as well as his attempts to reopen his previously denied claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus Type II (DMII) and erectile dysfunction.,A VA urology examination is required to determine if the Veteran's development of erectile dysfunction was caused by his service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred at the Touro ER on September 6, 2008 was denied because there was no indication that her condition required immediate emergency treatment and VA facilities were available.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent based on a restricted diet and insulin. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of regulation of activities, which would warrant a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for GERD but denied increased ratings for coronary artery disease. The effective date of the grant of service connection remains February 12, 2002.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for esophageal cancer, type II diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, all claimed as due to herbicide exposure. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board found that the cause of death (blunt force head trauma) was not caused by a service-connected disability and denied both the claim for service connection for the cause of death and the DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Veteran seeks service connection for diabetes, which he claims is related to herbicide exposure during his active duty service. The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to verify whether the Veteran was exposed to herbicides in Vietnam and to obtain an opinion on the relationship between any current diabetes disability and his military service.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for polyneuropathy due to lack of evidence showing a claim was filed prior to July 10, 2007.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, along with other disabilities, has rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since September 2007.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have diabetes mellitus, type II and therefore service connection for this condition is denied. The issue of a higher initial rating for PTSD remains pending.