Diabetes Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being REMANDED to the AOJ for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the local VA office. The Veteran has requested a Board videoconference hearing, but his request was received prior to any Board consideration of his appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran served in the Republic of Vietnam and therefore, diabetes mellitus is presumed to be related to his service. However, there is no evidence linking any skin condition to his active duty service or herbicide exposure.

The case is being remanded to obtain addendum medical opinions that comply with the Board's December 2014 directives regarding service connection for diabetes mellitus, bilateral leg amputation, and congestive heart failure. The appeal will be returned to the Board after further development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for Type II Diabetes Mellitus, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Prostate Cancer, and Hypothyroidism. The evidence does not support a finding of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Veteran seeks service connection for hypertension, which he claims is secondary to his service-connected Type II diabetes mellitus type II and/or acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board has remanded the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous directives.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, which requires insulin and a restricted diet but not regulation of activities. The claim for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent has been denied.

The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure and denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, concluding that the Veteran did not have in-service exposure to herbicides or any other conditions that would trigger a presumption of service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss but denied service connection for diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's current hearing loss disability was found to be related to his military noise exposure, while there is no evidence of a chronic condition related to the laboratory finding of impaired fasting glucose that could be considered diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus was initially rated at 10 percent prior to September 18, 2008. The rating was increased to 20 percent effective September 18, 2008 due to the use of an oral hypoglycemic agent (glyburide).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. As a result, the claim for secondary service connection for hypertension is granted.

The evidence does not show that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of sufficient severity to preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran seeks service connection for diabetes mellitus, which he claims is related to in-service exposure to Agent Orange. The Board has ordered a remand due to conflicting medical findings regarding the type of diabetes and the need for further examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment as of December 11, 2009. The Board granted a TDIU effective that date.

The Veteran's claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits is denied as she does not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability rating due to her service-connected knee disabilities, which are currently rated at 10 percent each.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, as well as his requests for earlier effective dates for service connection for diabetes mellitus and TDIU have been withdrawn. The Board also dismissed these issues due to lack of evidence supporting earlier effective dates.

The Veteran does not have diabetes mellitus, type II, that manifested during service or is otherwise related to service, including as due to herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran withdrew his appeal for increased ratings for adenocarcinoma of the prostate, status post radiation therapy with urinary incontinence; peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities; peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities; and for entitlement to automobile and adaptive equipment or for adaptive equipment only. The Board also determined that a cerebrovascular accident was not incurred or aggravated by service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine degenerative joint disease, bilateral upper extremity cervical radiculopathy, and residuals of a right femur fracture. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus with peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities is also service-connected. However, initial disability ratings are denied.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction as secondary to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is considered presumptively incurred in service due to herbicide exposure. Service connection was also granted for hypertension, which is presumed to have been caused by herbicide exposure during service.,Service connection has been established for a psychosis for the purpose of establishing eligibility for treatment only under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1702.