Diabetes decisions — 2017

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain missing service treatment records and VA examination opinions regarding his stomach disability, skin cancer, coronary artery disease, right shoulder disability, and diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus with associated conditions do not warrant a rating in excess of 20 percent, and his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining any outstanding records. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus will be evaluated again to determine if it requires insulin, restricted diet, or regulation of activities.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and amputation of the right leg below the knee due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, despite the Veteran's presumption of exposure. The claim was also denied under a secondary service connection theory as the amputation is related to his service-connected diabetes.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sarcoidosis and an increased rating for DM with bilateral cataracts are being remanded due to the need for further development, including VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for multiple lipomas, bilateral kidney disorder, hypertension, fatigue, memory loss, right lung disorder, and bladder disorder are all denied as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus and/or PTSD. The Veteran's high cholesterol claim is also denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's hypertension and his service-connected diabetes mellitus, as well as the potential association with Agent Orange exposure. The Veteran is also presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities of DMII, CAD, and HTN were not incurred in or as a result of service. The evidence does not support exposure to herbicide agents such as Agent Orange (AO) during active service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is rated at 20 percent, and the combined evaluation of his service-connected disabilities remains at 60 percent. The propriety of the combined rating is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, right eye vision loss, left eye vision loss, and fatigue have been granted. The claim of service connection for presumptive illnesses from Gulf War - Southwest Asia theater of military operations (claimed as a functional gastrointestinal disorder) is moot due to the already established service-connected conditions. A rating in excess of 100 percent for hepatocellular carcinoma has been denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for bilateral hearing loss disability. The Veteran is entitled to a statement of the case regarding his claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's death was due to promyelocytic leukemia, with underlying causes of chronic renal failure, diabetes, and ischemic cardiomyopathy. There is no evidence linking a cold injury or its residuals to the cause of death.

The Veteran has withdrawn his claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD, diabetes mellitus, tobacco and nicotine abuse, myalgia, myositis, vitamin B-complex deficiency, dysthesthenia, PVD, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities. The remaining claim of entitlement to increased rating for ischemic heart disease is addressed in a separate remand.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's diabetes mellitus is at least as likely as not caused by her service-connected anxiety with depression, and whether it is aggravated by that condition. The appeal will be returned to the Board after this examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents, including Agent Orange, during his active duty service in Thailand. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is presumed to have been caused by this exposure and granted for accrued benefits purposes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not serve in a unit stationed along the DMZ and therefore, there is no presumption of exposure to herbicides. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus and bilateral eye disorder are not related to service or any incident of service origin.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities has been granted. The effective date remains to be determined as there is no specific information provided.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and peripheral neuropathy have been denied. The current ratings are deemed appropriate based on the severity of the disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations.