Diabetes decisions — 2013

The Veteran's appeal for hypertension service connection was dismissed due to withdrawal. The Veteran is granted a certificate of eligibility for specially adapted equipment as he has loss of use of his feet due to service-connected diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for diabetes mellitus has been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant, through his authorized representative.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including diabetes mellitus and its secondary effects on other conditions, are not service-connected.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed due to his death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims.

The Board denied service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer residuals as the Veteran did not have these conditions to a compensable degree within one year of separation from service.

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's exposure to herbicides is denied, as he was stationed in Thailand rather than Vietnam. Service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus cannot be established due to lack of a nexus between service and the condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased initial rating for diabetes mellitus. The claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder was denied as there is no medical evidence showing a causal link between the Veteran's current psychiatric disability and any in-service disease or injury.

The Board is granting the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for left hand arthritis. However, his remaining claim of entitlement to service connection for Type II Diabetes Mellitus requires further development before being decided on appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a video conference hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals. The issues are about service connection for multiple actinic keratosis and skin cancers as secondary to his existing condition, and for diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and hypertension are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Type II Diabetes Mellitus, claimed as due to exposure to Agent Orange, is being remanded for further development. The Board will seek verification of the Veteran's alleged flight into Vietnam in mid-1971 and review all available records from his ship logs.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus has required insulin and a restricted diet, but not regulation of activities within the meaning of the applicable diagnostic criteria. Therefore, he is not entitled to an increased rating.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetic nephropathy is found to have aggravated his hypertension, warranting the grant of service connection for hypertension.

The Board denied service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease including coronary artery disease, both claimed as secondary to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's contentions of exposure were not supported by the evidence.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of November 1, 2006 for the assignment of a 40 percent rating for diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is dismissed.

The Veteran's death was caused by acute bronchopneumonia and pulmonary emboli, which were a direct result of an acute hospitalization for surgery to treat colon cancer. The service-connected asthmatic bronchitis with COPD did not accelerate his death; however, the appellant's continued smoking after discharge from military service was the main causative entity in the development of conditions that were fatal.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and denied entitlement to DIC due to service connection for the cause of his death.