Diabetes decisions — 2015

The Veteran's appeal is denied as the Board finds no valid diagnosis of PTSD or any other acquired psychiatric disorder during the appeal period.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to clarify the findings of his eye examinations and determine if his diabetes requires regulation of activities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and attempting to substantiate his claims of service connection for Hepatitis C, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a VA eye examination and obtaining updated medical records. The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and cataracts as secondary to service-connected hypertension is pending.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) and diabetes mellitus, both presumed to be related to herbicide exposure in Korea. The effective date of the grant of service connection for CAD is set at August 31, 2010, which is when ischemic heart disease was added to the list of diseases recognized as being related to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for CAD has been denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the previously denied claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus, and thus the claim is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II is denied as there was no exposure to herbicides during his service in Korea and the evidence does not show that he had diabetes in service or within one year of discharge.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities were denied by the Board, as the evidence did not show that his conditions warranted a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70% since March 10, 2004. He is also entitled to a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has reopened several service connection claims and granted them, with some issues receiving staged ratings. The effective date for the award of PTSD is set at April 9, 2007.

The Veteran's cause of death, including dementia as a contributory cause, was not due to or aggravated by his service-connected conditions. The VA medical opinions concluded that the Veteran's dementia and aspiration pneumonia were not related to his service-connected psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD, a cardiovascular disability, and diabetes mellitus. The claim for excessive weight gain was not addressed as it may be related to an already established condition.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus has been rated at 40 percent since June 5, 2014. The rating is based on the requirement of insulin and a restricted diet.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus is not service connected, but his obstructive sleep apnea was incurred during service.,The Veteran's total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is found to be related to his exposure to DDT during service and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for diabetes mellitus, type II. The Veteran contends that he was exposed to herbicides during service and believes his diabetes began in service.

The Veteran's claims for special monthly compensation at the 'r' levels were denied as he does not meet the statutory requirements for these rates due to his service-connected disabilities and lack of additional conditions.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type 2 and hypertension are granted as service connected based on direct evidence of a current disability, with no presumption of exposure to herbicides or other agents.