Diabetes decisions — 2015

The Board found that the Veteran did not have ischemic heart disease or diabetes due to in-service herbicide exposure, as he never served in Vietnam and there is no evidence of such exposure. The claims for service connection were denied.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her father's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his death to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a new opinion on the Veteran's employability and his VA Vocational Rehabilitation file.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA and private medical records, an evaluation by a vocational rehabilitation specialist to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities, and consideration of the provided opinions.

The Board found that the Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and may not be presumed to have been incurred therein. The psychiatric disorder claim is referred to the RO for adjudication.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected spondylolisthesis warrants a 20 percent rating since April 1, 1996.

The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of brainstem stroke is granted, and his claim under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is dismissed as moot due to the grant of service connection.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, type II were denied by the Board.,Coronary artery disease is currently rated at 30 percent, while diabetes mellitus, type II, is rated at 20 percent.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus, type II. The Veteran's current diagnoses of these conditions were not shown to be related to her military service.

The Veteran seeks compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for complications from medications prescribed by VA, including a stroke in 2009 and subsequent conditions such as left hemiparesis, muscle and nerve problems, mood swings, coronary artery disease, and diabetes mellitus. The Board has ordered additional development to obtain medical records and conduct examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow gainful employment prior to June 4, 2013. The effective date for the TDIU is set at May 10, 2010.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and bilateral vision loss due to lack of evidence supporting the Veteran's claims, including his exposure to Agent Orange or service in Vietnam. The Veteran was not exposed to herbicide agents during active duty and there is no credible evidence that he served in Vietnam.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including pneumonia, depression, diabetes mellitus, a bilateral foot disability, and skin disabilities were denied as the evidence did not establish full-body exposure to mustard gas or Lewisite during his active duty. The Board found no presumptive service connection based on mustard gas exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran had service in Vietnam and is therefore presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange. As a result, he is granted service connection for Type 2 diabetes and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma due to this exposure.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The claim of a bilateral foot disability was reopened, but the service connection claim remains denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluation of prostate cancer and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining recent VA treatment records and scheduling new examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus is granted due to exposure to herbicides during active duty. The claims for increased ratings and service connection for the left lower extremity disabilities are pending.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for heart disease, myelodysplasia, and type II diabetes mellitus due to lack of evidence of exposure to herbicides during service. The appellant is therefore not entitled to accrued benefits for these conditions.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have current disabilities for VA purposes related to his claimed conditions, and there is no evidence of in-service disease or injury. Therefore, service connection cannot be granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a VA examiner's opinion on whether COPD was caused or aggravated by Agent Orange exposure or any service-connected disability.