Diabetes decisions — 2016

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, type II diabetes, and nephrolithiasis. However, these claims were subsequently denied on the merits.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, lower extremity neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy, and tinnitus have been granted. The conditions are found to be related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, as well as considering his service treatment records from Womack Army Medical Center.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to lack of regulation of activities or other specific manifestations. His erectile dysfunction is also rated at 20 percent and fully contemplates his symptoms.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, ischemic heart disease, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma as due to herbicide exposure during service in Thailand. The Veteran was exposed to herbicides while stationed at the Udorn Air Force Base.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions and whether they are related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is presumed due to his in-service herbicide exposure and service connection is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining his personnel file and VA medical records, as well as a VA examination to determine the nature and extent of any diagnosed vision, leg, skin, vascular, memory or stress disorders, and any additional residuals of exposure to radiation.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding that there was no competent and credible evidence to support a link between any of these disabilities and active duty or exposure to toxic substances. The Veteran's Graves' disease and diabetes were found not to have onset in service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for an adequate etiological opinion regarding his diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disorder, Lewy body dementia (as memory loss), and diabetes mellitus type II was granted. The effective date is set to the date of receipt of the claim, November 4, 2011, as there is no evidence of these conditions prior to that date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim has been granted, and the remaining issues have been dismissed due to withdrawal of claims by the Veteran.

The Veteran's prostate disability, diagnosed as hyperplasia of the prostate, is not service connected due to lack of evidence showing a connection between his active service and this condition.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for moderate non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy without macular edema is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a new examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The initial rating for diabetes was not granted, chronic otitis externa did not warrant a compensable rating, the lumbar spine disability received an increased rating but remained at 20 percent, cervical spine disorder, bilateral hip disorder, knee disorder, ankle disorder, kidney disorder (hypertension), heart disorder (hypertension), erectile dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy of both upper and lower extremities were not granted service connection. The Veteran's diabetes was rated as 20 percent disabling.

The Veteran's death is attributed to service-connected ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus, which are presumed due to herbicide exposure during his military service in Thailand.

The Veteran's right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy were rated at 10 percent prior to July 27, 2011, and January 16, 2014 respectively.

The Veteran is entitled to a TDIU from March 1, 2009 to October 24, 2010 due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction, to include as secondary to shell fragment wound residuals, PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and prostate cancer is being remanded due to the need for additional development of medical records.