Diabetes decisions — 2016

The Veteran's claim is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during service. Hypertension, however, was not shown in service or within one year of service and is not otherwise attributable to service.

The Veteran's current diagnosis of type II diabetes mellitus is related to his active military service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a left elbow disability, hernia, vision loss, depression with insomnia, diabetes mellitus, and radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities. The decision did not address service connection based on exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune, radiation, or Gulf War Syndrome.

The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete verification of the Veteran's exposure to herbicides and ionizing radiation, as well as a need for further examination regarding his claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus are not related to his active service, including exposure to herbicides. As such, these claims have been denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and an examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during service and his diabetes mellitus is presumed to be related to such exposure. The claim for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities will be remanded as there are insufficient medical records to determine if a current diagnosis exists.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on loss of use of the right eye with blindness, having only light perception was denied. However, he was granted effective from April 22, 2008, for his need for aid and attendance.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus and is granting it. The underlying service connection claim for this disability as well as the TDIU claim are addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have tuberculosis, hepatitis C, or diabetes mellitus during the appeals period and therefore service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the percentage requirements for TDIU prior to March 13, 2015. The Board found that his service-connected conditions were not of such severity as to preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment in keeping with his education and occupational experience.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have exposure to herbicides during service and therefore cannot establish a presumption of service connection for type II diabetes mellitus. The evidence does not show any complaints, treatment, or diagnosis of type II diabetes mellitus in service, nor is there any link between the condition and military service.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetic retinopathy was found to be manifested by corrected visual acuity of no worse than 20/40 in both eyes, without any evidence of visual field loss, pain, rest requirements, impairment of muscle function, or incapacitating episodes prior to November 24, 2014. The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating was granted.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is presumed to be due to his service in Thailand, where he was exposed to Agent Orange. The Board finds that the Veteran's duties brought him to the perimeter of the base on a regular basis and grants service connection for diabetes.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including chronic adjustment disorder with anxiety, diabetic nephropathy, bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction, tinnitus, and status post shrapnel injuries, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU rating.

The Veteran was rendered unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment as a result of his service-connected disabilities for the period on appeal prior to January 9, 2007. The Board found that he had one disability rated at 60 percent (hypertension) and a combined rating of 80 percent, effective from September 15, 2005.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an opinion from a pulmonologist regarding the relationship between the Veteran's sleep apnea and his service-connected conditions.