Diabetes decisions — 2017

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically mood disorder, on a secondary basis to his service-connected disabilities. The claim for type 2 diabetes mellitus remains denied as new and material evidence was not received.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to January 20, 2009. However, for the period on appeal from January 20, 2009 onward, his service-connected disabilities, as likely as not, precluded him from obtaining or maintaining such employment.

The Veteran's service connected disabilities, primarily his PTSD and diabetic peripheral neuropathy, preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's initial ratings for diabetes mellitus were denied, with the Board granting a 20 percent rating effective August 9, 2010 and denying higher ratings. The case was remanded to consider additional evidence.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issues of entitlement to higher initial ratings for PTSD and Type II diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, finding no evidence of its onset during or within one year after service and insufficient medical evidence to establish a link between his current condition and any in-service exposure.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating prior to June 17, 2013.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available. His bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA's Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any current eye/vision disabilities, as well as whether the Veteran's sleep apnea was caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability. The case will be remanded for these purposes.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for type II diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's CAD, type II diabetes mellitus, diabetic retinopathy, bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are all found to be related to his in-service herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is granted, with a disability rating of 20 percent for plantar calluses effective February 20, 2015. Service connection for heart condition and diabetes mellitus are also granted as due to herbicide exposure.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, as claimed due to inservice herbicidal agent exposure (Agent Orange). The Veteran's active duty did not include service in Vietnam or any other location where he could have been exposed to herbicides. As a result, the claim is denied.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, type 2, erectile dysfunction, renal dysfunction, and heart disorder were denied as they are not service-connected based on the evidence of record.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death, coronary artery disease, was related to service or caused by his PTSD.

The Veteran's use of assistive devices to ambulate is due to a combination of service-connected and nonservice-connected disabilities, not solely from his service-connected conditions. Therefore, he does not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus should be remanded due to incomplete medical opinions and further development is needed.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, finding that the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that it was incurred or aggravated during service.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than depression but including posttraumatic stress disorder was also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy on a presumptive basis due to exposure to herbicides. Service connection is also granted for right upper extremity, left upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus.