Diabetes Board decisions

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for a new VA medical opinion to determine if it is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus or coronary artery disease.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and adenocarcinoma of the prostate due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to active service or any presumptive exposure.

The Board has determined that the current evidence of record is insufficient to determine whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities make him unemployable. The case is therefore being remanded for a VA social and industrial survey to assess his overall ability to work.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when considered together, rendered him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment from July 15, 2010 to July 14, 2011.

The Veteran's other specified trauma and stressor related disorder (previously diagnosed as PTSD) is productive of occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, including work, family relations, judgment, thinking and mood. The Board finds that the criteria for a schedular rating in excess of 70 percent have not been met. However, the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including other specified trauma and stressor related disorder (previously diagnosed as PTSD), diabetes mellitus type 2 and prostate cancer preclude him from obtaining and maintaining employment that could be considered substantially gainful versus just marginal by comparison, when also considering his level of education, prior work experience and training. Therefore, the Veteran is granted a TDIU.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional medical records and conduct an examination to determine if the Veteran's diabetes is related to service, including her gastrointestinal condition or depression.

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for bilateral hearing loss as defined by VA standards. The Veteran's puretone thresholds have never met the criteria for a disability during this appeal period.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected diabetes mellitus and diabetic maculopathy and retinopathy with cataracts.

The Board denied service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, finding that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen these claims. The Veteran's left ear disability claim was also addressed but found final due to a prior denial.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and oropharyngeal cancer, both due to Agent Orange exposure, are being remanded as the VA has not been able to verify his alleged exposure during the relevant time periods.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea and diabetes mellitus, type II are at least as likely as not related to his service. Therefore, these conditions have been granted service connection.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, which was presumed due to his service in Vietnam, contributed substantially to his death from a pulmonary embolus. The Board found that the medical evidence is in equipoise as to whether the diabetes caused or accelerated the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to substantiate his claims of service connection for PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and a skin disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the AOJ for further development, including verification of herbicide exposure and assignment at Camp Casey in August 1970.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is currently rated at 20 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation. For his left knee disability, he was previously granted a 10 percent rating prior to July 6, 2012 and a 40 percent rating effective from that date. The Veteran's appeal regarding these conditions is denied.

The Board found that diabetes mellitus, type II did not manifest during service or to a compensable degree within one year after active duty and is not causally related to an injury, disease, or event in service. As such, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and a heart condition have been denied as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides or other causative factors.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and found that the Veteran's right hand disability, gastrointestinal disability, and obstructive sleep apnea are presumed to have been incurred during his military service. Service connection was denied for diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at his local RO. The issues on appeal include service connection for various conditions secondary to type 2 diabetes mellitus.