Diabetes decisions — 2013

The Board finds that the Veteran's current eye disorders (diabetic retinopathy and cataracts) are not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development and consideration of his service connection claims, including a request for supplemental opinions from the May 2013 VA examiner or an appropriate substitute.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and denied the claim for service connection for the cause of his death.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities, evaluated as 80 percent disabling, prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment. Therefore, the Board grants TDIU.

The Veteran's son has been substituted for the deceased Veteran in his diabetes service connection claim, but the appeal was dismissed due to the death of the original appellant.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for service-connected diabetes mellitus was increased to 20 percent effective July 20, 2011. His tinnitus is rated at the maximum schedular evaluation of 10 percent. The hearing loss remains noncompensable.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board finds that he is entitled to a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating of diabetes mellitus, service connection for hypertension secondary to diabetes mellitus, and earlier effective date for loss of use of bilateral lower extremities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher disability rating for diabetes mellitus or service connection for hypertension as secondary to diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, due to herbicide exposure is denied as there was no actual or presumed exposure to Agent Orange during his military service in Alaska. The Board also found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus due to herbicide exposure and granted service connection based on the presumption that such condition is related to Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for a hearing at the Newark, New Jersey RO. The issues of service connection for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy are still under consideration.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus has been rated at 40 percent since January 2008, and the Board finds that this rating is appropriate based on his symptoms.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, finding that the Veteran's condition is at least as likely as not related to his active duty service. The claim of service connection for erectile dysfunction remains pending and will be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the lower and upper extremities, as well as for TDIU, were denied by the Board.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus was not shown to be related to his military service, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure. The Board therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2 and remanded it to allow further development of his exposure history.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to conflicting medical opinions and the need for a VA cardiologist's opinion on whether his hypertension was caused by service, or caused or permanently aggravated by his service connected PTSD and/or diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the severance of service connection for diabetes mellitus is proper and remands the case to allow for further development, including obtaining employment records related to the Veteran's initial diagnosis.

The Veteran's diabetes is not service-connected as it did not manifest during or within one year after service, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure in Thailand. The Board finds that the claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus must be denied.