Diabetes decisions — 2013

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issues of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 20 percent disabling for diabetes mellitus type II with onychomycosis, erectile dysfunction, and nephropathy.

The Board found that the appellant did not have a shoulder injury during active service, and his current shoulder disabilities are not related to service.,Diabetes mellitus was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his diabetes mellitus and associated complications, and determining whether any noncompensable complications should be separately evaluated.

The Board found that the Veteran did not serve within the land borders or on inland waterways of the Republic of Vietnam, and thus could not establish presumptive service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, a heart disorder, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy. The claims were denied as direct service connection was also not established.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from February 19, 2008 to July 17, 2008.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, finding that new and material evidence was not received to reopen these previously denied claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination for hypertension and a failure to address the initial rating issue.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus was granted service connection, but the cause of death due to esophageal cancer is not considered a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including chronic sinusitis, allergic rhinitis with pharyngitis, Parkinson's disease, bilateral cataracts associated with diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board finds that his service-connected conditions alone are sufficient for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to additional evidence received and to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during service in Thailand and Korea.

The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II did not have its onset during service or is otherwise etiologically related to his service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board found no evidence of the Veteran's service in Vietnam or exposure to herbicides, and thus denied his claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by VA carelessness, negligence, or similar fault and ruled against the appellant.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of diabetes mellitus, finding that the earliest possible effective date was June 15, 2007, when he filed his claim. The Board concluded there was no evidence meeting eligibility criteria for retroactive payment under VA regulations.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death due to metastatic pancreatic cancer, finding that it was not incurred or aggravated by service and did not result from a service-connected condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension and type II diabetes mellitus did not begin during his periods of active service, and thus denied entitlement to service connection for both conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus with diabetic retinopathy, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for diabetes mellitus was denied as his disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7913.

The Veteran's service connection claim for Type II diabetes mellitus, based on exposure to Agent Orange, was denied as there is no evidence of in-service exposure or a link between the current condition and his military service.