Diabetes decisions — 2015

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and liver disorder have been granted, while his claim for skin disorder remains denied.,Service connection has been established for diabetes mellitus due to presumed exposure to herbicides during active duty in Vietnam.

The Board found no direct evidence linking the Veteran's diagnosed conditions to his military service and thus denied all claims for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's current Type II diabetes mellitus was not manifested during his active military service and is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to his active military service. Therefore, service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus is not established.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction are all found to be related to his service in Vietnam. The effective date for the benefits is not specified.

The Veteran's case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess his claimed conditions.

The Board denied the appellant's request to reopen his claim of whether his character of discharge constitutes a bar to payment of VA compensation benefits, finding that new and material evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, and prostate cancer are all granted due to presumed exposure to herbicides during his active military service in Thailand.

The Board has requested additional medical records and a new examination to determine if the appellant needs aid and attendance or is housebound due to her disabilities.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for tinnitus due to withdrawal by the appellant. The case was remanded for further development regarding service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and employment records from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and former employer (USPS). A new VA examination will be conducted to assess the effect of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment and to determine whether his hypertension is caused by a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to consider his claims of service connection for various conditions including diabetes mellitus, heart disability, hypertension, enlarged prostate, and respiratory disorder. The claims will be considered based on herbicide exposure, lead-based paint exposure, and asbestos exposure.

The Veteran's prostate cancer and Type II diabetes mellitus are presumed to have been caused by exposure to herbicides during service at the Korat RTAFB in Thailand. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's petition to reopen a previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral tinea pedis with onychomycosis was granted. However, the Board found that there is no evidence showing that his service-connected disabilities precluded him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, thus denying his TDIU claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran served in Vietnam and is presumed to have been exposed to herbicides during service. Therefore, type II diabetes mellitus is granted as presumptively related to such exposure.

The Board found that the Veteran's service connection claim for diabetes mellitus, type II, due to exposure to herbicides (Agent Orange) was denied as there is no evidence of in-service disease or injury and no continuity of symptomatology after service. The preponderance of the evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection.

The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence does not reflect that the Veteran has had a mole removed from the left arm or a related keloid. Therefore, service connection for mole removal/keloid, left arm is denied.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions and whether they are related to service. The claims will be remanded for further action.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II and bilateral peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple conditions, including cervical and thoracolumbar spine disorders, knee and ankle injuries, a muscle disorder, diabetes mellitus due to herbicide exposure, multiple sclerosis, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and an anxiety disorder. The claims are being remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is rated at 20 percent. The issue of service connection for a skin disability has been withdrawn by the Veteran.