Diabetes decisions — 2012

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals regarding elevated cholesterol, high triglycerides, and fatty liver as he withdrew these issues prior to a decision being made. The Board granted service connection for hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus on a direct basis.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for type II, diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the case for further action due to a failure to appear at a scheduled videoconference hearing.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction are not shown to warrant a higher rating or service connection, respectively.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims to reopen his service connection for various knee disabilities, cervical spine fusion, and lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease. The evidence submitted did not relate to the basis for the prior denial of these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has granted a higher initial disability evaluation of 30 percent effective March 16, 2009. The other issues remain unresolved.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, which he claims is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The claim will be remanded for additional development including obtaining pertinent VA treatment records.

The Veteran's DM requires insulin and a restricted diet but does not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent prior to November 2, 2009.,DM meets the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 40 percent prior to October 16, 2010, as evidenced by hospitalizations and visits to a diabetic care provider.,DM does not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 60 percent beginning October 16, 2010.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling a VA compensation examination. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected Type II Diabetes Mellitus is being returned to the RO.

The Board finds that the Veteran's currently diagnosed hypertension is not connected to his military service or a service-connected disability, and therefore denies the claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to technical issues with a hearing transcript and requests for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including VA examinations and medical opinions regarding his claimed bilateral knee disorder, lower back disorder, and diabetes mellitus, type 2.

The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus was not incurred in or aggravated by his military service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service, including as a result of exposure to herbicides (namely, the dioxin in Agent Orange) in Thailand.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension did not have its clinical onset in service and is not otherwise related to his active service. The Board also determined that it was not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and consideration, including determining if the Veteran's duty assignments in Japan could include trips to Vietnam as a courier. The claim will be reconsidered based on this new information.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing proper notice of secondary service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lower extremity pain and numbness, bilateral knee disability, and bilateral hearing loss disability. The decision found that there was no evidence of a disease or injury in service that could be linked to these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus, are denied as there is no credible evidence linking these conditions to his military service or herbicide exposure.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between any of these conditions and active duty service.

The case is being remanded due to incomplete VA medical records. The Veteran's claims for service connection and new and material evidence will be reconsidered after the additional records are obtained.