Diabetes decisions — 2012

The Board has determined that the reduction in the disability rating for diabetes mellitus from 40 to 20 percent as of November 30, 2006 was improper due to the appellant's service-connected diabetes mellitus not exhibiting improvement. As a result, the appellant is entitled to restoration of his original 40 percent disability rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and retinopathy are denied as there is no diagnosed condition. The claim for service connection of bilateral upper extremity and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition has been reopened and granted. Service connection is also established for diabetes mellitus type II as a result of herbicide exposure (Agent Orange). The Veteran's interstitial fibrosis (asbestosis) was found to be aggravated by his pre-existing asbestos exposure.,The Veteran's corn on the right little toe and left shoulder condition claims are not supported by evidence.

The Veteran is found to be unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities, particularly his PTSD.

The claim to reopen the service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death was denied because the new evidence did not relate to the basis for the prior denial.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity to preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2, finding no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents and noting that the first documented evidence of diabetes was in approximately 2002. The Board also found no medical evidence linking the current condition to military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, claimed as due to herbicide exposure is being remanded. The RO will attempt to verify the Veteran's alleged herbicide exposure with the Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC) and/or any other appropriate facility by obtaining unit information of the 8th FMS at Ubon Airfield in Thailand from August 1965 to August 1966 to determine the unit's location within the airfield. The RO will also determine whether the Veteran's MOS is recognized as one that regularly had contact with the airbase perimeter.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus with peripheral neuropathy of the fingers and toes has been in effect since October 11, 2006. The RO reduced the rating from 40 percent to 20 percent effective March 1, 2008.,The RO granted an earlier effective date for separate ratings of 10 percent each for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities since October 11, 2006.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining deck logs of the U.S.S. O'Hare and any other relevant records to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service in Vietnam.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and diabetes mellitus are not related to active service, including as due to a service-connected disability. Therefore, these claims have been denied.

The Board found that the evidence did not demonstrate that the Veteran's psychiatric symptoms precluded him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to June 17, 2005.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him incapable of obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to November 3, 2008.

The Veteran's death was caused by multi-system organ failure, primarily due to sepsis in an individual with a dialysis access. The service-connected PTSD is not considered the principal cause of death.

The Board found that diabetes mellitus, asthma, and hepatitis B with liver disability were not related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II; hypertension; and peripheral neuropathy of his hands and feet. The evidence did not show any in-service exposure to herbicides or other potential causative factors.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for allergic rhinitis, benign prostatic hypertrophy, and diabetes mellitus, type II have all been denied. The VA examiner found no evidence of these conditions during active service or until many years thereafter, nor is there any causal relationship to such service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for additional medical opinions regarding the nature, onset, and etiology of the Veteran's diabetes mellitus and thyroid condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic syncope has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The Board finds that the Veteran may have a current disability related to his in-service vasovagal syncope.,Regarding sleep apnea, the Veteran served in the Southwest Asia Theater during the Gulf War. However, the condition is not shown to be due to an undiagnosed illness or other disease incurred in service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II, which was diagnosed shortly before his death in December 2007, contributed to the cause of his death from acute mesenteric ischemia. Service connection is granted for the cause of the Veteran's death.