Diabetes decisions — 2017

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II was not incurred or aggravated by service, including his cold injury residuals. The Board found the VA medical opinion to be of significant probative value and denied the claim.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to a lack of an opinion from a specialist in occupational medicine regarding whether prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus are related to service or exposure.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and providing an opinion on whether hypertension is related to in-service herbicide exposure. Another VA examination is also needed to determine if the diagnosed anxiety disorder was aggravated by service. The Veteran should be provided a VA examination to determine the current severity of his diabetes.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus and left knee arthritis are found to have onset in service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, as well as an appropriate VA examination to address the claims of service connection for sleep apnea and diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's current right hand disability and low back disability are service-connected as they were incurred during his active military service. Diabetes mellitus is not service-connected due to lack of evidence of in-service exposure or a direct link.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD, scars, diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction, right hand arthritis, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that the Veteran meets the schedular requirement for a TDIU due to his combined disability rating of 80 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was entitled to a TDIU as of November 27, 2007, based on his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of his medical records.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, and he is in receipt of SMC due to his service-connected disabilities. However, the TDIU claim was denied as his combined rating does not meet the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for the Veteran's right inguinal hernia with a surgical scar, effective from the date of the July 2014 VA examination.

The Board has received notification from the appellant that they wish to withdraw all issues on appeal, including their request for a hearing. As such, the appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II has been rated at 20 percent since the appeal period began. The Board found that his condition does not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic code.

The Veteran's diabetes is rated at 20 percent, with complications including diabetic gastroparesis and bilateral onychomycosis. The Board denied an increased rating for diabetes.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is not presumed to be due to exposure to herbicides during service.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not aggravated by service-connected PTSD and denied his claim for service connection based on aggravation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and seeking verification of herbicide agent exposure. The Veteran is also requested to provide a VA medical opinion regarding his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction and diabetic retinopathy, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension did not have its onset during active service and is not related to any incident therein.,The Board also found that there is no evidence of diabetes mellitus, type II, having had its onset during active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to December 17, 2009 for the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity associated with diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity associated with diabetes mellitus, bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.