Diabetes decisions — 2016

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on current evidence of record.

The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability (hypertension) in service or within one year following separation, and the Veteran did not provide credible evidence linking his current condition to service. The Board also determined that hypertension was not proximately due to or aggravated by service-connected diabetes mellitus or CAD.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions do not warrant a grant of increased ratings or TDIU. The evidence does not support an increase in rating for hemorrhoids, and there is no indication of diabetes mellitus due to herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to a lack of verification of herbicide exposure and for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records.

The Veteran's death was caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus and hepatocellular cancer, which the Board finds to be secondary to his diabetes. The claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is rendered moot due to the grant of service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a Board hearing due to his inability to attend the previously scheduled hearing.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the Veteran's service in the Republic of Vietnam and to obtain relevant medical records. The claims will be remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board finds that there is not sufficient evidence to establish exposure to Agent Orange or any other herbicide during his service. As a result, the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy are denied.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction have been denied as they are not related to his military service or herbicide exposure.,Service connection cannot be granted because there is no evidence of a chronic disease in service. The Veteran has not provided any credible evidence that he was exposed to herbicides during his military service.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and granted it, finding new and material evidence to support reopening. The Veteran's exposure is presumed based on his in-country service during the Gulf War.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) has ordered a remand. The case is now being returned to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in St. Louis, Missouri for further development.

The Veteran's claims for hypertension, kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, left hip disability, and right knee disability have all been granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, tinnitus, and depression, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted the claim for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus with associated conditions is rated at 40 percent disabling, effective May 21, 2015. The rating for the other disabilities remains unchanged.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied, and his claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction was also denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a current diagnosis of PTSD or any other acquired psychiatric condition. For diabetes mellitus, the evidence showed that it required daily insulin and restricted diet but no regulation of activities, which meant he could still be rated at 20 percent.

The Board found that the Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus was not incurred in or aggravated by service, may not be presumed to have been incurred in service, and is not caused or aggravated by his service-connected coronary artery disease, hypertension, or chronic bronchitis/COPD.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus requires insulin and a restricted diet, but not regulation of activities. The criteria for an evaluation higher than 20 percent are not met.

The Veteran is granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2, hypertension secondary to diabetes mellitus, and tinnitus.,Diabetes mellitus type 2 is presumed due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. Hypertension is found to be related to the service-connected diabetes mellitus. Tinnitus was incurred during active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and impotency/erectile dysfunction have been denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to a scheduling issue for a videoconference hearing at the Atlanta RO. The claims of increased ratings for PTSD with depressive disorder and type II diabetes mellitus remain pending.