Diabetes decisions — 2014

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete service records and exposure history.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities combine to render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure and insufficient medical evidence to establish a direct service connection for diabetes mellitus or skin disability. The Veteran's claims are therefore denied.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional examination and development of his medical records. The Board will review the case again after these steps are completed.

The Board finds that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's cause of death from metastatic adenocarcinoma was caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II, and grants the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher rating based on current evidence of record.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records.

The Veteran does not have Type II diabetes mellitus that began in service or is related to exposure to herbicides. Service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and a right eye disorder, finding that there was no evidence of in-service exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides. The Board also found insufficient evidence linking current diabetes mellitus and a right eye disorder to service.,There is no indication of diabetes mellitus during service or within one year post-service, and the Veteran's claim for service connection based on exposure to Agent Orange was denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran currently has diabetes mellitus, type 2.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated medical records and a comprehensive examination to assess the cumulative impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Veteran's appeal includes claims for service connection for various conditions, and the Board has determined that these claims are inextricably intertwined with other issues. The case is therefore REMANDED to schedule a videoconference hearing before the undersigned VLJ.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer are presumed to have been incurred in service due to herbicide exposure, and the claims for service connection are granted.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and rating of various conditions have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his claims prior to a decision being made.

The Board has denied the reopening of claims for service connection for various conditions, including back disability, hypertension, eye condition, diabetes mellitus, stroke, heart condition, and high cholesterol. The appeals were withdrawn before a decision was made.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy, which is claimed as secondary to his service-connected diabetes, has been remanded due to ambiguity in the medical evidence regarding whether he currently suffers from this condition. The case will be returned to the RO for further examination and determination.

The Veteran seeks a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities. The Board is unable to determine whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable due to lack of consideration in the current evidence of record and remands for further examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude substantially gainful employment, given his educational and occupational background.

The Board finds that the Veteran's gastrointestinal disability is not related to his active service or any service-connected conditions, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration.