Diabetes decisions — 2015

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication, including consideration of service connection under the presumptive provisions due to potential exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a cardiac disorder due to further evidentiary development. The Veteran is also given an opportunity to testify at a local VA office hearing.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease are presumed to be related to his service in Korea due to exposure to herbicide agents, thus the claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetic retinopathy as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus was denied because there is no current diagnosed disability.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus type II was denied as there was no evidence demonstrating that the condition required regulation of activities, which is necessary for a higher rating under VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and diabetes mellitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease. The low back disability is denied due to lack of medical nexus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not related to service and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities is secondary to his service-connected diabetes. The claim for increased ratings and TDIU are also granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and erectile dysfunction, render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board grants a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating for diabetes mellitus type II, service connection for periodontal disease and hypertension are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus, type II, with erectile dysfunction and renal insufficiency with hypertension have been denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable rating schedule.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, to include as secondary to his service-connected chronic pancreatitis, is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and records.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to insufficient clarification of the symptomatology of his sleep apnea prior and after aggravation by his deviated nasal septum, as well as a request for outpatient treatment records from Brooke Army Medical Center dating back to 1984.

The Board has dismissed the appellant's claims of entitlement to earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection due to lack of authority to adjudicate such freestanding claims.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, which he claims was caused by exposure to Agent Orange while serving aboard a Navy ship in the waters offshore Vietnam. The case has been remanded due to issues with verifying herbicide exposure and obtaining VA medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, cervical osteoarthritis, residuals of a right ankle injury, scar of the right thigh, and erectile dysfunction, result in a combined rating of 90 percent. The Veteran is not unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities as he has more than one disability rated at least 40 percent disabling.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease are being remanded due to the need to obtain his complete Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) from his entire period of active duty service, including potential in-country service. The OMPF could contain relevant information regarding his exposure to herbicides during service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus has been rated at 40 percent since the decision, with regulation of activities being required to manage the condition. The criteria for a higher rating are not met.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for further development, including verification of his in-service deployment and VA examination to determine the etiology of his acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a new VA examination to address whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities preclude substantially gainful employment and to determine if his shortness of breath, chest pain, and right foot pain are due to diabetes mellitus.