Diabetes decisions — 2014

The Board has granted service connection for radiculopathy with a noncompensable rating, denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, and deferred service connection for a cervical spine disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus with right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy was received on April 1, 2008. The effective date of this award is set at the date of receipt of the claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of a nexus between his claimed conditions and his military service, including exposure to herbicides. The Board found that the Veteran did not serve in Vietnam and thus could not establish presumptive service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus contributed to his death from pancreatic cancer, and grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current diagnosis of diabetes mellitus is not related to his military service, including exposure to herbicides. The evidence does not support a finding of in-country service or exposure to Agent Orange during his time aboard the U.S.S. Passumpsic.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2 and urinary tract infection. The claim for a compensable rating for hypertension was also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including atherosclerotic heart disease with old myocardial infarction and diabetes mellitus, precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation as of May 15, 2002. He met the threshold schedular requirements for an award of TDIU benefits under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a) as of that date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability is not service-connected, and denied increased evaluations for diabetes and diabetic neuropathy.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and diabetes mellitus, as well as his claim for an increased rating for tension and migraine headaches, were all granted. The maximum rating of 50 percent was assigned for the headaches.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the previously denied claims of service connection for a visual disability, residuals of a head injury, and left knee disability. The claim for diabetes mellitus is granted.,The claim for erectile dysfunction was not incurred in active service and is not secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disorder is not service-connected, but his muscle wasting and atrophy are related to his diabetes.,His altered gait is considered part of his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and erectile dysfunction are all found to be service-connected due to herbicide exposure during active duty.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate medical opinion and missing VA treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's depression is proximately due to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II with erectile dysfunction.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating have been denied. The Board found that new evidence was received to reopen the claim of left leg peripheral neuropathy, but did not find a relationship between his current condition and service-connected diabetes mellitus or hypertension.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C, erectile dysfunction (secondary to diabetes mellitus), and an increased rating for diabetes mellitus were denied. The claim of new and material evidence for hepatitis C was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent.

The Veteran's death was caused by metastatic melanoma, but the VA examiner opined that his service-connected diabetes mellitus did not contribute substantially or materially to his death. The case is being remanded for further evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a chronic low back disorder and diabetes mellitus type II with multiple symptoms. The claims were not reopened for other conditions.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted on a secondary basis to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus. His coronary artery disease and type II diabetes mellitus are both denied initial higher ratings.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred on September 1, 2010, and September 17, 2010, are granted as the treatment was deemed necessary due to an emergent condition related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.