Diabetes decisions — 2016

The Veteran seeks service connection for diabetes mellitus due to in-service herbicide exposure. The Board has determined that the case must be returned to the AOJ for consideration of the Court's decision in Gray and any additional guidance regarding VA's definition of inland waterways as it pertains to locations such as Da Nang Harbor.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for clarification regarding his exposure to herbicides and chemicals at Sabana Seca, Puerto Rico.

The Veteran's residuals of prostate cancer are rated at 60 percent, the maximum schedular rating for voiding dysfunction. His diabetes mellitus, type II, is currently rated at 20 percent and does not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II has been rated at 20 percent since the claim was filed, and this rating is maintained as it does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board found no evidence of in-country service or exposure to herbicides, leading to a denial of the claim for diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's vertigo, to include a cerebellar gait, is due to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus. The claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for cardiovascular disease has been denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is at least as likely as not permanently aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II, and therefore grants service connection for hypertension secondary to this condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, to include as due to herbicide exposure, is being remanded for further development and consideration.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and did not address his claim to reopen a previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea.

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, hypertension, peptic ulcer and PTSD have been granted. The effective date of the grant of service connection for coronary artery disease is October 6, 2010.

The Veteran's service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity is rated at 30 percent, effective March 15, 2013. The other issues remain unresolved.

The Veteran's death was caused by colon cancer, with hypertension and diabetes mellitus as contributing causes. The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to presumed exposure to herbicides during his Vietnam-era service.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, and granted presumptive service connection based on herbicide exposure during service. The Veteran's current diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, type II, is consistent with a 10 percent evaluation under the appropriate diagnostic code.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is etiologically related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and thus grants service connection for ED as secondary to DM.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral foot disability, including diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy, is not attributable to disease or injury sustained during his period of service. The Veteran's cold weather injury to his feet in Germany was resolved without residuals.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service did not take him on land or in brown water in the Republic of Vietnam, and therefore he is not presumed to have been exposed to herbicides. As there is no other evidence showing exposure to herbicides or a link between diabetes mellitus and service, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's service connection claim for diabetes mellitus is being remanded due to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims finding that his military occupational specialty (MOS) likely exposed him to Agent Orange on a first or second-hand basis. The case will be returned to the Board for compliance with the terms of the Joint Motion for Remand.

The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II was not incurred in active duty service and denied her claim.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining records from SSA and VA/VA clinics, as well as any private treatment records. A new VA examination will also be scheduled.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, PTSD, and hepatitis C have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for these conditions based on his medical records and examination findings.