Diabetes Board decisions

The Veteran seeks service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, based on exposure to herbicide agents during his service aboard the USS Meyerkord. The claim is being remanded to obtain deck logs and ship histories from January 1973 through January 1975.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional medical opinions regarding his heart disability and diabetes mellitus claims. The VA will provide the necessary examinations to determine if these conditions are related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be related to his military service, and he is granted service connection for this condition. The issues of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for thyroid cancer secondary to asbestosis, entitlement to service connection for a respiratory disability, entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus, entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the right knee, and entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for posttraumatic arthritis of the bilateral thumbs are addressed in the Remand section.

The Veteran's cause of death was not related to service-connected conditions, and the criteria for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 were not met.

The Veteran's service connection claims for tinnitus, hearing loss, eye problems, dizziness, anxiety, depression, gout, diabetes mellitus (type II), and peripheral neuropathy have been granted. The effective date is not specified as the decision was issued in October 2016.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension have been granted.,No ratings were increased or TDIU was granted.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetic neuropathy and radiculopathy of the lower extremities have been rated at 20 percent since May 7, 2015.

The Veteran's hypertension is being reviewed for possible service connection as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The current examination report may not have adequately addressed the relationship between these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, penile disability (including erectile dysfunction and Peyronie's disease), ischemic heart disease, peripheral neuropathy of both upper and lower extremities were denied as there was no evidence to support a nexus between the disabilities and his military service.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction, prostate enlargement, and bladder/urinary disorder are found to be secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for separate compensable evaluations for residuals of diabetes mellitus (DM) as there was no factually ascertainable increase in severity within one year prior to his March 4, 2012 informal claim. The effective date for the grant of service connection and separate ratings is therefore not earlier than March 4, 2012.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, type II diabetes, and nephrolithiasis. However, these claims were subsequently denied on the merits.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, lower extremity neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy, and tinnitus have been granted. The conditions are found to be related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, as well as considering his service treatment records from Womack Army Medical Center.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to lack of regulation of activities or other specific manifestations. His erectile dysfunction is also rated at 20 percent and fully contemplates his symptoms.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, ischemic heart disease, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma as due to herbicide exposure during service in Thailand. The Veteran was exposed to herbicides while stationed at the Udorn Air Force Base.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions and whether they are related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is presumed due to his in-service herbicide exposure and service connection is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining his personnel file and VA medical records, as well as a VA examination to determine the nature and extent of any diagnosed vision, leg, skin, vascular, memory or stress disorders, and any additional residuals of exposure to radiation.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding that there was no competent and credible evidence to support a link between any of these disabilities and active duty or exposure to toxic substances. The Veteran's Graves' disease and diabetes were found not to have onset in service.