Diabetes decisions — 2014

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus has been dismissed due to his failure to provide necessary identifying information and releases for private medical records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's retinopathy is secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II and granted the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus is service connected, and his peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities are also service connected.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetic retinopathy with macular edema and central retinal vein occlusion in the left eye is currently rated at 30 percent, effective from November 24, 2009. The rating reflects that his vision has been corrected to 20/400.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, which likely preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran is unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, and peripheral neuritis. The Board has granted a TDIU for the period prior to March 13, 2013.

The Board found that the Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus, cardiac disability, cervical spine disability, and lumbar spine disability are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD was granted. The Board found that the Veteran engaged in combat with the enemy and his stressors were consistent with his service, thus meeting the criteria for direct service connection.

The Board has vacated the previous decision and is granting service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II due to exposure to Agent Orange.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension have been denied as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides, the conditions are not related to his active service, and secondary service connection cannot be established.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the stomach condition claim prior to a decision being made. The Board also found that there was no current respiratory condition and thus did not find service connection for this issue.

The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, type II is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records and provide a VA examination.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II was not incurred or aggravated during service and is not related to herbicide exposure. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of in-service disease or injury for which service connection could be granted.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities are found to be likely preventing him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, as his multiple conditions render him unemployable.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and residuals of multiple cerebrovascular accidents, finding that these conditions were not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 40 percent, and the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher rating as there are no episodes of ketoacidosis or hypoglycemic reactions requiring hospitalization.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions, including essential thrombocytosis and its secondary effects, have been dismissed due to the withdrawal of his appeal by his representative.

The Veteran's claims for type II diabetes mellitus and hypertension were denied as there was no evidence of in-service exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides, and the conditions did not manifest within one year post-service. The Board found that service connection could not be established on a direct basis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, regardless of type (Type I or Type II), had its onset during his third period of active duty service. Therefore, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for an examination addressing his functional impairment from service-connected disabilities and their impact on employment.