Diabetes decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is service connected due to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam, and thus grants the claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, nor does he need regular aid and attendance of another person.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute to his death. The claim for service connection for the cause of death is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including traumatic brain injury and loss of vision in the left eye, rendered him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment as of June 19, 2009. The Board granted TDIU effective from that date.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's current diagnosis of diabetes mellitus is found to be causally related to his in-service ACDUTRA period, warranting service connection.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II requires a restricted diet and oral hypoglycemic agents but not regulation of activities or insulin. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating under either the criteria effective prior to December 10, 2017 or from December 10, 2017.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151, and initial ratings for his service-connected disabilities have been remanded due to outstanding VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded both issues for further development and consideration, including the submission of additional evidence since the last decision. The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection is also addressed.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II has been withdrawn.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition is denied as the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of such disability.,Service connection for right foot condition is denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to military service.,The claim for increased rating for pterygium remains pending and requires further examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to address his kidney disability and glaucoma claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to verify his alleged herbicide agent exposure while serving in Thailand. The issues of service connection for depressive disorder, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction are also being remanded as they are secondary to diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and consideration of his claims, including a TDIU application. The initial rating for ischemic heart disease and evaluation for diabetes mellitus are also under review.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting an addendum opinion regarding his right eye cataract.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development of evidence and readjudication.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to new evidence submitted since previous decisions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and thyroid nodules, finding no evidence of herbicide agent exposure in Thailand and insufficient medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD symptoms warranted a 70 percent disability rating, and also determined he was unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for SMC by reason of the need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status is denied as his service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for such benefits.

The Board has determined that the appellant's discharge from service is not a bar to VA benefits, and therefore, his claims for service connection are granted.