Diabetes decisions — 2013

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and assigned a non-compensable disability rating for Bell's palsy. The Veteran was not granted an increased rating for residuals of hemorrhoidectomy.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for diabetes mellitus, Type II, which he claims is due to his exposure to Agent Orange during his military service in Vietnam. The RO has denied this claim on the basis that there is no evidence of a current diagnosis of diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II is currently rated at 20 percent and peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities are each rated at 10 percent. The RO found that these ratings adequately reflect the severity of his conditions.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals on both issues, and therefore the cases are dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus does not require regulation of his activities, and therefore, a higher disability rating is not warranted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, skin cancer, coronary artery disease, bilateral peripheral neuropathy, erectile dysfunction, kidney condition, hypertension, and tinnitus. The decisions were based on a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to May 9, 2011 is being remanded due to the need for additional development of evidence regarding his employability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities, including potential service connection based on exposure to herbicides or asbestos.

The Board found that the Veteran's sleep apnea did not have its onset in service and is not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus or post-traumatic stress disorder. Therefore, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to June 24, 2010.

The Veteran withdrew all appeals prior to the Board's decision.

The Board found that the Veteran's currently diagnosed diabetes and hypertension were not incurred or aggravated by service, nor may they be presumed to have been so incurred. The evidence did not show a link between these conditions and his military service.

The case is being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records, address secondary service connection claims for orthopedic disabilities, and provide a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal regarding an effective date earlier than September 18, 2008 for the award of a 40 percent disability evaluation for Type II diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction and carpal tunnel syndrome of the left upper extremity has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeals.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, arteriosclerotic heart disease, and PTSD due to herbicide exposure during his active duty in Thailand. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete records and inadequate opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral foot disability, hypertension, and Type II Diabetes Mellitus due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left eye disorder (other than diabetic retinopathy) is not related to his military service and/or a service-connected disability, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and residuals of prostate cancer as he did not serve in Vietnam or have any credible evidence of herbicide exposure.