Diabetes decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted. The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine and assigned a temporary 100% evaluation based on hospitalization and convalescence for brain tumor removal surgery.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied. The Board also found insufficient evidence to support service connection for heart disorder, hypertension, eye disorder (glaucoma), and diabetes based on the claimed link to lumbar spondylosis.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis with liver damage and gout, finding no evidence of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease (claimed as ischemic heart disease), peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities due to lack of evidence of herbicide exposure during service.

The Board has determined that the effective date for the award of SMC based on the need for aid and attendance is July 1, 2005. The Veteran's claim was pending due to new evidence received within one year of a November 2005 rating decision.

The Veteran's appeal was granted with an effective date of January 1, 2010 for TDIU. The other claims were dismissed as the Veteran withdrew them in favor of the TDIU claim.

The Board has granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, PTSD, a right hand disorder, and 'jungle rot' of the feet. The Veteran's claims are now moot as no further adjudication is required.

The Veteran's service connection claim for diabetes mellitus, type II is granted as it meets the criteria for presumptive service connection due to herbicide exposure during his service aboard the U.S.S. Boston in Vietnam.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current left foot disabilities, including arthritis and a diabetic ulcer, were not incurred in or related to service. The evidence does not support a finding of secondary service connection due to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome was denied in September 2001 and again in January 2000. The Veteran submitted a petition to reopen her claim on August 11, 2010.,Effective August 11, 2010, the Veteran's claims for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome have been granted.

The Board has granted a 70 percent rating for the Veteran's anxiety disorder, NOS with sub-threshold PTSD since the effective date of service connection. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent and the Board found that it does not warrant an increased rating.

The Veteran died from metastatic nasopharyngeal cancer. The Board found no evidence to support a causal connection between the Veteran's death and his active service, including his cervical spine disability, PTSD, or diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his service-connected low back disability and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity. The TDIU claim is also inextricably intertwined with these issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected conditions (prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II and bilateral lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy) contributed to his cause of death from colon cancer.

The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of insomnia, and the Board finds that his sleep impairment is already encompassed in his service-connected depressive disorder.,There is no evidence of hypertension during service or within one year of discharge. The Veteran's hypertension was diagnosed several years after service separation and is not related to diabetes mellitus or service.,The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of erectile dysfunction, and the record contains no indication that his post-service condition is causally related to his active service or diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II was denied as there is no evidence of its onset during active service or within one year of separation. The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's psychiatric and sleep disorders were related to his military service.

The Veteran's CAD rating was restored from October 1, 2010 to March 16, 2012. SMC based on housebound criteria was also restored.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and the Board found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claim for congestive cardiomyopathy. The other issues related to exposure to herbicide agents or diabetes mellitus type II were also denied.