Diabetes decisions — 2017

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is rated at 20 percent since August 25, 2011. His hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus with bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, hypertension with heart involvement, and renal insufficiency required treatment including insulin, restricted diet, and regulation of activities from October 14, 2004 to September 12, 2008. A higher rating is not warranted during this period.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus II is rated at 40 percent from July 26, 2016. The rating reflects the need for insulin and a restricted diet along with regulation of activities.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for cause of death.

The Board found that the Veteran's eye disability was not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II and denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of exposure to herbicides during service, and the Veteran's prostate cancer was not diagnosed or treated in service. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a left ankle disability. The appeal of these three issues is dismissed.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to ensure all relevant evidence is considered before deciding the Veteran's claims. This includes obtaining private treatment records from specific providers and considering whether staged ratings are appropriate.

The Board found no evidence of service in the Republic of Vietnam, and thus could not presume exposure to Agent Orange. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus was not present during or within one year after his period of service, and there is no medical evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus was denied. The claim of service connection for left ear tinnitus may not be reopened as new and material evidence has not been received. The Veteran withdrew his appeal seeking a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD.

The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, the maximum schedular rating available. The Board finds that an increased rating is not warranted as there is no evidence of regulation of activities due to diabetes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, diabetic neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, chalazion of the left eyelid, chronic sinusitis, and gout of the right foot. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and her military service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds no evidence of regulation of activities required to treat his condition.,For eczema, tinea pedis and onychomycosis, a separate rating of 10 percent was granted effective October 20, 2016. The Veteran's conditions do not meet or approximate criteria for higher ratings.

The Board has determined that the Veteran served in close proximity to an area where herbicide agents were used on or near the perimeter of NKP Royal Thai Air Base during his Vietnam War service. As such, diabetes is granted as presumptively related to herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for Multiple Sclerosis and Type II Diabetes due to insufficient evidence on record. The Veteran is seeking direct service connection for Multiple Sclerosis, which may be secondary to his diabetes.

The Veteran's death was not due to service-connected conditions, and the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 were not met.

The Board denied both basic eligibility for death pension benefits and DIC for the Veteran's cause of death, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service disease or injury leading to the causes of death.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is presumed to have been caused by his herbicide exposure in service at Korat AFB during the Vietnam War.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to determine if his type II diabetes mellitus and liver disease are related to herbicide exposure in Korea, specifically Agent Orange. The AOJ will conduct additional development including a search for the unit history of the entire period the Veteran served in Korea.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate reasons or bases provided in the previous decision and because of new evidence. The case is now being sent back for further development.