Diabetes decisions — 2013

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing and further development.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to provide opinions on the relationship between the appellant's diabetes mellitus and service as well as whether his diabetic retinopathy is caused or aggravated by his diabetes mellitus or service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected conditions, including diabetic retinopathy, peripheral vascular disease, leg radiculopathy, stomach disability, prostate disability, liver disability, and various other disabilities. The issues include reopening of a claim for diabetic retinopathy and seeking service connection for these conditions as secondary to diabetes mellitus or exposure to herbicides.

The Board found no evidence of diabetes mellitus, type II or peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to service. The Veteran's claims were denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran did not have exposure to ionizing radiation or hazardous chemicals during service, and his claimed conditions are not related to active duty. The claims for service connection are denied.

The Veteran's request to withdraw his claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus has been granted.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a back disability. These conditions are found to have had their onset during active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a liver disability, including due to exposure to herbicides and/or as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, is being remanded for additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's eye disabilities, other than his service-connected conjunctivitis and dry eyes, are not related to his military service. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding diabetes mellitus, Type II and right knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, hypertension, a back disorder, leiomyosarcoma, and diabetes mellitus, were denied. The Board found no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions, nor any herbicide exposure that could relate the current disabilities to service.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, and associated peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities. The current ratings are considered appropriate.

The Veteran's death was caused by atherosclerotic heart disease and diabetes mellitus, which are included in the list of diseases for which presumptive service connection may be granted based on herbicide exposure. However, there is no evidence that he served in Vietnam or had any duty ashore, thus precluding him from qualifying for presumed exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as his combined rating is at least 60% and he has other non-service connected disabilities that affect his employability. The Board finds the VA examination report to be more probative than the SSA determination in determining the Veteran's employment capabilities.

The Board has ordered additional development to verify the Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange at Ubon Air Force Base in Thailand, which is a location outside of Vietnam. The case will be remanded for further review after this verification.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have diabetes mellitus and therefore denied service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus with onychomychosis has been rated at the maximum 100 percent evaluation since July 21, 2012.

The Board found that diabetes mellitus was not present in service or for many years thereafter and has not been shown to be related to active duty. As a result, the claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus type II, PTSD, peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities, resulted in a combined rating of 70 percent. The Board granted entitlement to a TDIU rating from November 19, 2010.

The Board found that the Veteran's currently diagnosed diabetes mellitus did not have its onset during his periods of active service or ACDUTRA, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's NODs to the April 2012 rating decision regarding service connection for glaucoma, enlarged prostate, and low testosterone are valid. The issues of entitlement to service connection for these conditions remain pending.