Diabetes Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule an informal conference with a Decision Review Officer (DRO) for the issue of earlier effective date for TDIU. Additionally, the case must be readjudicated as to the issue of higher initial rating for type II diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to missing records and a need to obtain Social Security Administration disability benefits records.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings or service connection in all cases.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, erectile dysfunction, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral hand disorder have all been denied. Service connection has been granted for diabetes mellitus with initial ratings of 20%.

The Veteran's initial increased rating claim for diabetes mellitus was denied as the disability does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation under VA's Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, which he claims was caused by exposure to herbicides during his military service. The VA needs to verify the Veteran's alleged service in Vietnam and/or Thailand, as well as confirm any potential exposure to herbicides.

The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure in Vietnam and denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy as secondary to the Veteran's diabetes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder, to include GERD and/or ulcerative colitis, to include as secondary to herbicide exposure, and an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for type II diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, finding no evidence of a pre-existing condition and no increase in severity during service.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for a VA examination to assess the Veteran's current disability picture in relation to his claims on appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The claims for service connection for PTSD, diabetes mellitus type II, and sleep disorder are all pending.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus. The evidence received since the last final denial does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing VA examinations.

The Board has reopened the claims of entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disability, left wrist disability, upper back disability, mid-to-low-back disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, right ankle disability, and PTSD. The Veteran's reports of inservice acoustic trauma are accepted as credible evidence of an in-service event. Service connection is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and peripheral neuropathy of the hands as a result of herbicide exposure. The case has been remanded to conduct further development including verifying herbicide exposure in Korea.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during service. The Board finds the Veteran was exposed to herbicides in Vietnam and grants service connection for his diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board is remanding the case to obtain additional deck logs of the U.S.S. Ranger for the period from May 19, 1971, through November 10, 1972, in order to determine if the Veteran had service in Vietnam or exposure to Agent Orange during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted, with some conditions receiving a presumption of herbicide exposure and others being granted based on the evidence presented.

The Board finds that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during service in Korea and has current disabilities of diabetes mellitus type 2, coronary artery disease, and non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The Board grants service connection for these conditions as due to exposure to herbicide agents.