Diabetes Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for Diabetes Mellitus Type II and a rating in excess of 50 percent for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of DMII, and the record does not contain a recent diagnosis of disability prior to filing the claim. For PTSD, the Board found that the Veteran's symptoms resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran is currently employed part-time as a car salesman and in the recent past was employed part-time as an auto mechanic, consistently earning employment income that exceeds the applicable maximum annual pension rate. The Board found he is not permanently and totally disabled from nonservice-connected disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for a 30% rating for pes planus and SMC based on housebound status, finding no clear undebatable error in the original decisions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus, type II is denied.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction (claimed as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus) is not granted. The request to reopen the claim of service connection for this condition is also denied.,Service connection for tinnitus is denied.,Service connection for multiple sclerosis is denied.,Service connection for sleep apnea is denied.,Service connection for a low back disability is denied.,Service connection for a skin condition is denied.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, sleep apnea, and diabetes mellitus, type II due to lack of evidence showing in-service incurrence or continuity of symptomatology.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development and readjudication of his claims, including those related to diabetes mellitus, glaucoma, PTSD, and TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for SMC based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his disabilities did not meet the criteria for such benefits.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's initial claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus was denied in an October 2014 rating decision. The case is being remanded to obtain a VA examination regarding the onset of the Veteran’s type II diabetes.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence and a need for additional opinions regarding service connection for tobacco use, diabetes, and other conditions listed on the Veteran's death certificate.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus and right-eye visual disorder due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran, including his assertions of in-service high-sugar and high-starch diet and physical training. The RO is instructed to obtain updated VA treatment records and a new examination to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance is denied as there is no evidence of helplessness or inability to protect oneself from daily hazards.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including chronic tonsillitis and peritonsillar abscess, psychotic disorder and bipolar disorder, diabetes mellitus, beta thalassemia minor, chronic fatigue syndrome as due to an undiagnosed illness, asthma, migratory joint pain as due to an undiagnosed illness, and elevated cholesterol. The effective dates for the service connection claims were not earlier than December 29, 2011.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus has been reopened and is denied.,The Veteran's cause of death claim has also been reopened and is denied.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is presumed to have been incurred within one year of discharge. The Board finds it as likely as not that the Veteran has a right hip disability, but there is no current diagnosis for this condition. Service connection for depression and sleep apnea are denied due to being part of PTSD.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings and earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus II, cataracts, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and nephropathy associated with diabetes mellitus II. The Veteran's diabetes is presumed to have resulted from herbicide exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, erectile dysfunction as secondary to diabetes mellitus, and bilateral diabetic retinopathy. Service connection for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity and left lower extremity is also granted.,Service connection for a bilateral eye disability other than diabetic retinopathy (residuals of retinal detachment and cataracts with pseudophakia) remains pending.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the incompletion of development related to his service connection claims for PTSD, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and peripheral vascular disease. The Board will complete the requested development before considering these issues.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and fairly consider the merits of the Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including arthritis of the elbows and wrists, poor vision, anal fistula, diabetes mellitus, and TDIU. The Veteran will need to undergo a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected bilateral elbow and wrist conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease are granted. The TDIU claim is remanded due to the recent grant of service connection.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II was evaluated as 20 percent disabling. The Board found that the criteria for a higher rating were not met due to lack of regulation of activities.