Diabetes decisions — 2015

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is service-connected. The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of his peripheral neuropathy, osteomyelitis, bilateral feet, kidney condition, and cataracts.

The Veteran's chronic kidney disease was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and there is no evidence of a nexus to herbicide exposure.,There is insufficient evidence to establish that the Veteran's basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma were incurred in service. The Board finds that these conditions are not related to his active military service.,The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, was incurred in service or is otherwise related to his active military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the percentage requirements for TDIU prior to December 8, 2010. The effective date of his TDIU award is therefore December 8, 2010.

The Board found no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides or other causative factors for diabetes mellitus, and thus denied the claim based on direct service connection.

The Veteran was granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, type II diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease due to exposure to herbicides. The COPD claim is pending as the evidence does not establish a direct relationship with service.,Tinnitus was found to be less likely caused by service.

The Veteran is precluded from substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, including depression and peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus is being remanded due to incomplete service treatment records and the need for a VA examination.

The Board has found that the Veteran's DDD/DJD of the lumbar spine is service-connected, as it was manifested during active duty and is related to his in-service injury. The issues of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, CAD, and MS are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including following the directives of 38 C.F.R. � 3.311 and obtaining a VA examination to fully address the remaining theories of entitlement.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and PTSD were denied. The Board found that the criteria for a higher rating were not met at any point during the period on appeal.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records. The Veteran will be provided with a new rating decision after this development.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an updated medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's eye disorder and his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The Veteran's claim for service connection will be returned to the AOJ after this development.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination and the need for an updated opinion considering all service-connected disabilities, including non-service-connected conditions. The examiner must also provide examples of employment the Veteran would be qualified for with his current level of disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, warrants a 40 percent rating for the entire period on appeal due to its impact on regulation of activities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and residuals of throat cancer due to herbicide exposure. The evidence did not establish a causal relationship between these conditions and his active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected scars were rated at 10 percent prior to October 23, 2008. The Board finds no evidence of deep or underlying soft tissue damage, and the scars do not cause limitation of function. Therefore, a higher rating is not warranted.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and burial benefits are denied as there is no evidence linking the cause of death to his active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, Type II was denied as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to Agent Orange and the condition did not manifest within one year after separation from service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient compliance with the terms of the September 2013 remand orders regarding herbicide exposure in Korea. The claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus is being returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's cause of death was due to pancreatic and colon cancer, which were not service-connected. The appellant did not meet the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.