Diabetes decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claim for service connection of diabetes mellitus type 2 was granted, and the effective date is set at July 24, 2012.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease, effective November 26, 2011. The Veteran's depression, skin disorder (seborrheic keratosis), and bladder cancer have not been established as related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have exposure to herbicides during service, and therefore cannot establish presumptive service connection for diabetes mellitus or ischemic heart disease. The claims are denied.

The Veteran was granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, bilateral lower and upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, the cause of death (endstage Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and diabetes mellitus), and bilateral hearing loss due to in-service herbicide exposure.,Service connection is also granted for hypertension as secondary to diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD was granted, and the effective date for his diabetes mellitus service connection award was changed from May 12, 2015 to January 2, 2015 due to clear and unmistakable error.

The Board found no evidence of diabetes mellitus being incurred in service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type two, and bilateral peripheral neuropathies are granted due to presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam.

The Veteran's hypertension, PTSD, and diabetes mellitus have been granted service connection. The Veteran is currently rated at 50% for PTSD.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and ischemic heart disease due to herbicide exposure during the Vietnam War.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on all issues have been denied. The Board finds no evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation of any claimed conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus and service connection for a cardiac condition was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, as it did not require regulation of activities. For the cardiac condition claim, further development is needed due to conflicting medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, finding that new and material evidence had not been received.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and information from the Social Security Administration.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus-type II was denied as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides or any other presumptive conditions, and the condition did not manifest within one year of separation from service. The Board found that the current diagnosis of diabetes mellitus-type II occurred many years after service and there is no medical evidence linking it to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, was not incurred in or caused by service and denied his claim.

The Board has determined that the appellant's diabetes mellitus warrants a rating of 40 percent, effective from when he filed his increased rating claim in January 2012.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during service and therefore meets the presumptive exposure criteria for diabetes mellitus, type II. As such, the claim is granted.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, Parkinson's disease, diabetic neuropathy of various extremities, hypertension, and diabetic retinopathy. The claim is granted as these conditions were not incurred in or aggravated by service.