Diabetes decisions — 2014

The Board has granted an increased disability rating of 40 percent for diabetes mellitus, and separate ratings of 40 percent each for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities. The Veteran's diabetic nephropathy is also rated at 30 percent.

The Board denied increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, finding that the Veteran's conditions did not meet criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7913 (diabetes) or Diagnostic Codes 8516 and 8521 (peripheral nerves).

The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure and denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, cancer of the right glottic larynx, and cancer of the left parotid gland as they are not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, combined, result in such severity as to render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II was not incurred or aggravated by his military service and is not presumed to have been caused by herbicide exposure. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against the claim.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim to reopen his previously denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, and found that he was exposed to herbicides in Thailand. As a result, his DM is presumed to be related to military service.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, bilateral foot disability, and right ankle disability. The claim for service connection for a right knee disability remains denied as new evidence does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II and sleep apnea were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor are they related to any incident therein. The Board found no evidence of continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary for proper adjudication of the claims, including verifying exposure to herbicides and cleaning chemicals during service.

The Veteran's appeal for increased evaluations of his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II and PTSD was dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus type II as due to herbicide exposure are granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prior to January 17, 2008 did not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension, which he contends is secondary to his service-connected coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus (DM), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Board has remanded the case for additional development.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II was denied as his original claim was not adjudicated under liberalizing legislation and he did not meet eligibility criteria for retroactive payment.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board also noted that more recent VA treatment records from the Atlanta VAMC and East Point COBC need to be obtained.

The Veteran's bunions were previously denied in an October 2005 rating decision. The claim was reopened, but new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the claim.,Service connection for a back disability is granted. Service connection for sleep apnea is also granted as secondary to service-connected coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for any of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for diabetes mellitus due to VA treatment for bipolar disorder was granted, and service connection for bipolar disorder was also granted with an effective date of May 1, 2003.

The Veteran seeks service connection for diabetes mellitus, which he claims is due to in-service exposure to nerve agents and other chemicals. The Board finds that a VA examination is needed to address the relationship between his current condition and his military service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is granted as due to herbicide exposure during his service in Vietnam.