Diabetes Board decisions

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, concluding that his colon cancer was not related to service or herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for a rating in excess of 30 percent for permanent disequilibrium and service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for these benefits.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, but his diabetic nephropathy and right eye retinopathy are each rated at 60 percent effective March 28, 2013.,Diabetic retinopathy has been granted a separate rating of 60 percent since October 11, 2011.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding the Veteran's alleged exposure to herbicides in Thailand and Vietnam, including verification of such exposures. The claim will be reconsidered based on this new information.

The Board has remanded all issues for further development, including scheduling a video-conference hearing and sending the appellant a copy of the September 2014 Supplemental Statement of the Case.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus, including allegations of exposure to chemical toxins and/or herbicides. The AOJ is instructed to complete the requested development and provide a formal response from the Department of Defense on the issue of exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for large vessel disease, claimed as coronary artery disease, has been reopened. The RO granted a 50 percent evaluation for PTSD from November 22, 2010 and denied all other claims.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertension is rated at 10 percent, effective from the date of his claim. The appeal for increased rating for diabetes mellitus was withdrawn.

The Board has determined that further development is needed before a decision can be reached on the merits of the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran seeks TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities. The Board finds that a VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for diabetes mellitus type II was received by VA on September 22, 2009. The effective date of service connection is set at September 22, 2008.,The Veteran's claim for coronary artery disease was received by VA on September 22, 2009. The earliest evidence of a diagnosis and entitlement to service connection arose in 2007, but the effective date cannot be earlier than September 22, 2009.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional VA treatment records and providing an opinion regarding the Veteran's employability given his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran does not have diabetes mellitus or heart disease that is attributable to his active military service. His diagnoses are not related to service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, based on a presumption of exposure to Agent Orange during his Vietnam service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from maintaining substantially gainful employment, and thus denies his claim for a TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for independent living services under Chapter 31 of Title 38, U.S.C., due to his current service-connected conditions and lack of feasibility in achieving a vocational goal.

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

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service connection claims for various conditions, including PTSD, chronic fatigue syndrome, and undiagnosed illnesses. The case is being remanded due to the need for a Board hearing.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's peripheral vascular disease is caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II, and thus grants service connection on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II is being remanded due to the need to verify his exposure to herbicides in Guam and Panama. The current evidence does not support a finding of such exposure.