Diabetes decisions — 2014

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding the Veteran's claimed Agent Orange exposure and service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2.

The Veteran's hypertension was not incurred during service and is not presumed to have been incurred due to his diabetes. The Board found no causal relationship between the two conditions.,Erectile dysfunction, secondary to Type II diabetes mellitus, has been granted as a separate condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing. The issues of service connection for PTSD and an increased rating for diabetes mellitus with bilateral cataracts are pending.

The Veteran died from acute myocardial infarction, with diabetes mellitus and congestive heart failure as significant contributing conditions. The service-connected disabilities (kidney stones and hearing loss) did not contribute to his death.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining or retaining employment, consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's erectile dysfunction was caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and grants service connection for erectile dysfunction on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining outstanding medical records and scheduling a TDIU examination.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus and arteriosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease were not service-connected at the time of his death, and thus could not be considered as a cause of death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by or related to his period of service, and there is no evidence suggesting a medical relationship between heart disease and his service-connected disabilities. As such, service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in the medical evidence regarding the Veteran's diabetes mellitus and diabetic peripheral neuropathy, as well as restrictions on his activities. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings will be reconsidered after further development.

The Veteran's memory loss is presumed to be due to an undiagnosed illness, but diabetes mellitus, bilateral foot and ankle disabilities, thoracolumbar spine arthritis, hypertension, bilateral leg disability, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction are not attributable to service or a service-connected condition.,The Veteran's memory loss is presumed to be due to an undiagnosed illness. Diabetes mellitus, bilateral foot and ankle disabilities, thoracolumbar spine arthritis, hypertension, bilateral leg disability, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction are not attributable to service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's initial and subsequent ratings for type II diabetes mellitus have been denied.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus and a skin condition, claimed as facial lesions, is being remanded due to insufficient information regarding in-country Vietnam service and exposure to Agent Orange.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion addressing his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to address whether the Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus is related to service, either directly or as secondary to his service-connected sleep apnea and/or low back disability.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Grandview Medical Center on October 24, 2009 for treatment of a scrotal abscess and tinea corporis are approved as the nearest VA facility was closed and not feasibly available.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected type 2 diabetes mellitus is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including new medical examinations.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have residuals of a cut on the left hand etiologically related to service.,The Board also found that the Veteran does not have a left wrist scar that is etiologically related to service.,Regarding diabetes mellitus, type II, the Board determined that it was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been so incurred.