Diabetes decisions — 2016

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of special monthly compensation (SMC) under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) is denied because the criteria for SMC were met as of September 21, 2009.

The Veteran's diabetes was not incurred in or aggravated by his active service, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure. As such, the claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any eye disorder that may be present. The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus is being considered as the primary cause or aggravation factor.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his diabetes mellitus and obtaining an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of his sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to determine if his ship, the U.S.S. Midway, was exposed to herbicides during his service in the waters offshore and other locations.

The Veteran is seeking earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2 with hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities. The case has been remanded to obtain additional medical records and review the claims.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for depression, blood in urine/hematuria, and hypogonadism. The Veteran's PTSD and status post laminectomies L4-5 disabilities are currently rated at their maximum levels.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment for which his education and occupational experience would otherwise qualify him at any point during the appeal period.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy and granted a 10% initial rating for diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, was caused in part by his service-connected lumbar spine, cervical spine, and left knee disabilities. The Board has granted the claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has determined that the earliest effective date for service connection of diabetes mellitus Type II with erectile dysfunction is June 13, 2004. The Veteran's claim was received on this date and he had early manifestations of DM prior to his September 2005 clinical diagnosis.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 22, 2006, for the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II was denied as there were no communications prior to that date indicating a formal or informal claim. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection on the effective date of the liberalizing law adding diabetes to the list of diseases presumptively due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 were not met.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, and granted it based on presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The Veteran went ashore once with a mailman while docked in Da Nang Harbor in July 1969.

The Veteran's request for service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development to verify his exposure to herbicides in Thailand and to obtain additional medical records, including those from his hospitalization in Thailand following a car accident. The claims will be reconsidered based on this new evidence.

The Veteran does not have residuals of a left foot stress fracture, and his diabetes mellitus, hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary enlarged lymph nodes, and ankylosing spondylitis are not related to service.,The Veteran's weight gain during active duty is not considered causative for his current conditions.

The Board has reopened the claim of entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus and granted it. The Veteran's current diagnoses of coronary artery disease, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral legs, diabetic retinopathy, and arthritis are all found to be related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for diabetes, low back disability, and lower extremity peripheral neuropathies were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings under the applicable criteria.