Diabetes decisions — 2012

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to specifically include PTSD, was denied as the evidence of record fails to corroborate her reported stressor.,Service connection is also denied for hypertension, stroke residuals, hysterectomy residuals, and diabetes mellitus as there is no evidence that these conditions began during or were otherwise caused by her military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus is not related to his service or any service-connected disability, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of hypertension, CVA, and basal cell carcinoma of the right upper eyelid. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active service or service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran is found to be precluded from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, which have rendered him unable to work.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus and a chronic skin disorder, claimed as skin cancer, due to herbicide exposure was denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities have been granted a 40 percent disability evaluation, effective from the date of this decision.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to have contributed substantially and materially to his death from atherosclerotic heart disease, with diabetes and Parkinson's disease contributing as well.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The Veteran's epilepsy was not found to be a direct cause of his death, and the causes of death (pneumonia, coronary artery disease, and diabetes) were not determined to be service-connected.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing assistance or a special home adaptation grant due to lack of qualifying disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records prior to August 2006 and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The claim for PTSD will also be expanded to include other psychiatric disorders such as anxiety disorder and depressive disorder.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ was denied. The Board found that the current assigned ratings were appropriate given the Veteran's symptoms.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and a left shoulder disability were denied as there was no in-service injury or disease, and the current disabilities are not related to military service. The Veteran does not have basic eligibility for nonservice-connected pension benefits.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral cataracts as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, type 2. The initial rating claim for bipolar disorder was also granted with a 10 percent disability rating effective August 1, 2004.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including back injury, cervical spine injury, sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, diabetes mellitus, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), chronic pain, atypical chest pain, and skin disability. The evidence did not support a causal relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further evaluation of his claim due to the need for a new VA opinion regarding the etiology of his erectile dysfunction.

The Veteran's tinnitus is service connected, and his diabetes mellitus, type II, secondary to herbicide exposure in Vietnam, is also granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left eye disabilities, including decreased visual acuity, ERM, and diabetic dry eye syndrome, are not related to his in-service injury or any residuals therefrom.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, erectile dysfunction, vertigo with dizziness and nausea, and a chronic acquired psychiatric disorder (to include depression or chronic psychosis). The evidence does not show that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of causation or aggravation, and thus, the preponderance of the evidence is against the Veteran's claim.