Diabetes decisions — 2012

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of all claims on appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II and obstructive sleep apnea are not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the appellant's claims, including obtaining medical records and opinions regarding the cause of death and whether VA care caused or contributed to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected conditions, and therefore the claim for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disability, hypertension (claimed as ischemic heart disease), and diabetes type II. The decision found that hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by service, may not be presumed to have been incurred due to herbicide exposure, and new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim of diabetes type II.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to work.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not rendered him unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment, thus the claim for a TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus with mild diabetic retinopathy and erectile dysfunction was denied as his condition did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7913.

The Veteran died due to recurrent acute myocardial infarction, hypertension, stroke and diabetes mellitus. The cause of death is not service-connected as there was no evidence linking any current conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA examination reports and medical records, issuing a statement of the case on his TDIU claim, and scheduling him for an examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an earlier effective date for TDIU or diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA disability benefits records and VA treatment records. A TDIU rating will be determined based on the current service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus is being remanded due to the need for additional records and information from the Veteran.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for VA examinations to address the nature and etiology of his psychiatric disorder(s), diabetes mellitus, nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, and any foot complications.

The Veteran's right and left foot disabilities are rated at 20 percent each, reflecting moderately severe residuals of foot injuries.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and diabetes mellitus type II have been denied. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, and his claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus type II prior to March 31, 2010 has also been denied.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral knee condition and diabetes, as well as an increased rating for migraine headaches and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension as due to exposure to Agent Orange or asbestos. The Board found that there was no evidence of in-country service in Vietnam, no qualifying exposure to herbicides off-shore, and no positive association between exposure to herbicides and any condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if his diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, or hypertension are related to service.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses for treatment of a non-service-connected condition from December 8 to December 10, 2006 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center are granted.