Diabetes decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain medical records, provide addendum opinions regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection and remand VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the current level of severity of his service-connected diabetes mellitus and an earlier effective date for certain PTSD benefits. The case will be returned to the Board for further review.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for increased ratings and service connection claims. The Board found that his diabetes mellitus did not require regulation of activities, and his sleep disorder and liver condition were not shown to be related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is currently rated at 20 percent and the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, lumbar spine disability, and diabetes mellitus. The Board also found that his right and left lower extremity diabetic neuropathy do not warrant an increased rating.,The Veteran's right and left lower extremity peripheral artery disease were also denied as they did not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence of ankylosis in the left wrist, no manifestations of hypertension or diabetes to a degree of 10 percent within one year post-service, and insufficient continuity of symptoms since service for these conditions. The low back disability was not shown in service, did not manifest to a degree of 10 percent or more within one year from separation, and is not otherwise related to service. The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy and heart condition claims were denied as there is no evidence of current diagnoses.

The Veteran's service-connected Hodgkin's disease is found to have substantially contributed to his death from metastatic pancreatic cancer, which was presumed due to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and TDIU, but denied his claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea. The case is being remanded to obtain a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to military service or aggravated by PTSD.

The Board found no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service manifestation of the claimed conditions, and thus denied service connection for prostate cancer, heart condition, skin disorder, and type II diabetes mellitus.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease, but the effective dates remain pending as a statement of the case is needed for the ischemic heart disease issue.

The Board finds that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, bilateral hand tremors, and obstructive sleep apnea are not caused by or otherwise etiologically related to military service.

The Board has found that the Veteran's service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II is granted as it falls under the presumptive conditions associated with herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is found to be proximately caused by or a result of his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's character of discharge for his period of service from January 11, 1961 through May 12, 1967 constituted a statutory bar to VA benefits. The appeal regarding diabetes mellitus, type II was denied as there is no evidence of its onset during service or a link between the condition and service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and Social Security Administration disability benefits decision. A new VA examination will be scheduled to assess the severity of his service-connected PTSD and diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder with depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent, effective from the date of decision. The Veteran's residuals of prostate cancer with impotence are rated at 40 percent, effective from August 25, 2015.

The Veteran's type II diabetes is granted as service-connected due to herbicide exposure. The claims for psoriasis and erectile dysfunction are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a new examination. The Veteran's appeal is now pending again with the AOJ.

The Veteran's hearing loss was found to be noncompensable, but service connection for the cause of his death due to diabetes mellitus was granted. The Veteran had presumptive exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's gout and diabetes mellitus are not related to his military service or any service-connected disabilities. The low back disability claim is remanded for additional examination.