Diabetes decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and chronic kidney disease as secondary to diabetes. However, the Veteran's claims for increased evaluation of duodenal ulcer disease with chronic gastritis and entitlement to TDIU are remanded due to incomplete development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity that they preclude substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU effective October 2, 2006.

The Board denied service connection for a kidney disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a direct relationship to service or a service-connected condition. The claim of secondary service connection for diabetes mellitus was also denied as there was no current service-connected disability.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not service-connected as it is more likely due to natural aging rather than in-service noise exposure.,Diabetes mellitus type II was not incurred during active service and did not develop within one year of discharge. The current diagnosis is attributed to the aging process.,Service connection for anxiety disorder prior to March 30, 2010, and an earlier effective date for a 50 percent rating are denied as there is no new evidence that would support reopening the claim.,The claims for heart condition, hypertension, and right and left hand conditions were previously denied. The Veteran's petition to reopen these claims has been denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and diabetes mellitus. The decision found that there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or herbicide exposure related to diabetes mellitus, and thus denied these claims.

The veteran died of a service-connected disability, but the appellant was over the age of 26 at the time of his death and thus is not eligible for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating issues due to insufficient evidence. The claims will be reviewed again with new medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection and effective date are remanded due to the need for additional information and medical opinions regarding his conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various disabilities, including back disability, bilateral leg disability, vision disability (other than related to a bilateral pinguecula), breathing disability, sleep apnea, prostate disability, colon cancer, diabetes mellitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder have been denied due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred in service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy due to service connection issues. The examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to his military service or any other relevant factors.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the need for additional medical examinations and development of records.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, peripheral artery disease of the bilateral lower extremities, and a kidney disability due to their relationship to the Veteran's diabetes.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected diabetes mellitus is being remanded due to the need for a more current examination.

The Board denied service connection for ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus due to lack of evidence showing their onset during active service or being related to the Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange/herbicides.,The Veteran did not serve in Vietnam and there is no indication that he was exposed to herbicides while serving in Germany.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has vacated the portion of its August 2018 decision that denied service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus and remanded it to allow for a new examination and consideration of the Veteran's claim based on his assertion of exposure to toxic chemicals aboard ship.

The Veteran's appeal regarding an increased disability rating for service-connected diabetes mellitus has been dismissed as he accepted the decision and requested to withdraw his appeal.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development and an examination due to incomplete records, lack of unit history research, and other remand directives not being carried out.

The Veteran's claims for heart disease, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and diabetes mellitus, type II have been granted. The claim for hypertension is remanded due to the need for a VA examination.