Diabetes decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service-connected, but his diabetes mellitus is not.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetic retinopathy of the eyes, but denied service connection for a vision disorder other than diabetic retinopathy (specifically cataracts).

The Board denied the claim for special monthly compensation based on need for regular aid and attendance of the Veteran's spouse, finding that her spouse can perform all activities of daily living and is able to leave her home.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings have been dismissed. The Board found no evidence to support the claims of service connection for a skin disorder, erectile dysfunction, diabetes mellitus, or OSA.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development and consideration of the TDIU issue, as well as the submission of new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus and its complications was received on January 31, 2011. The effective date of the award is set at January 31, 2011 due to the liberalizing change in law taking effect on May 8, 2001.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to have contributed substantially or materially to his death due to congestive heart failure and coronary atherosclerosis.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional VA treatment records and the Veteran's identification of any relevant private treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2 is denied as there is no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and the disease did not manifest within one year of discharge.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II has been dismissed as the appellant requested withdrawal of his appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeals for service connection have been withdrawn, and her claims for a left shoulder strain, low back disability, upper face numbness, diabetes, and bulimia are denied as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease resulting in current disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including verifying service in Vietnam and obtaining VA treatment records. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered after these steps.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his vision loss. The claims will be readjudicated after this development is completed.

The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus with hypertension effective January 29, 2012. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities was denied as there were no prior claims received before January 29, 2012.

The Veteran's diabetes requires insulin, restricted diet, and regulation of activities. The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether regulation of activities is required, but resolves all doubts in favor of granting a 40% rating for diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent since October 20, 2016, resolving reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for cataracts in both eyes due to a lack of evidence showing that his bilateral senile cataracts were caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus II.

The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus was not caused by VA medical treatment, but rather by other risk factors such as his family history of the condition and lifestyle choices.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is not related to his military service, including exposure to herbicides. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's cancer of the larynx and diabetes mellitus, type II are presumed to have been incurred during his active service in Thailand due to herbicide exposure.