Diabetes Board decisions

The Veteran's employment with the United States Postal Service ended on November 18, 2011 due to his service-connected disabilities. The Board found that he was not precluded from substantially gainful employment prior to this date.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, which required insulin and regulation of activities since March 8, 2009, is rated at 40 percent effective October 29, 2011.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicides in Thailand and whether his current conditions are related to service. The case is REMANDED for these purposes.

The Veteran's combined rating for his service-connected disabilities was 80 percent, as of September 2, 2010. The Board finds that the most probative evidence of record demonstrates that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due solely to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including verification of his claimed herbicide exposure in Korea and review of his pay records to determine if he received combat pay.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further development, including a comprehensive VA examination and consideration of the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to work.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a new VA examination to assess whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities preclude him from engaging in substantially gainful employment. The TDIU claim will be readjudicated based on the results of this additional examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is presumed to have been incurred in service due to his Vietnam-era exposure. The low back disability existed prior to service and was not aggravated by service. There is no evidence of a respiratory disability manifested by breathing problems during service or within one year post-service.

The Veteran died of diabetes mellitus, which is not service-connected. The Board finds that the cause of death was non-service-connected and thus denies basic eligibility for VA home loan guaranty benefits.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities meet the percentage requirements for a TDIU, and his combined disability rating is at least 70 percent. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus type II, prostate cancer, and skin cancer have been denied as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides. The claim for arthritis has also been denied due to lack of service connection.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and records, particularly regarding his service-connected disabilities prior to January 19, 2012.

The Veteran's Type II diabetes mellitus is presumed to have been caused by exposure to dioxin-based chemical herbicides during his service at the U-Tapao RTAFB in Thailand. The Board grants this claim.

The Veteran's vertigo, diabetes, hemorrhoids, PTSD, right leg lesion, costochondritis, GERD, enlarged thyroid, and incontinence have been related to service or service-connected disability. The endometrial polyps are considered incurred during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus warrants a 20 percent rating, but not higher. The claim of entitlement to service connection for erectile dysfunction was previously denied and is now final due to lack of timely appeal. New evidence received since the denial does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his diabetes mellitus and its associated peripheral neuropathy, as well as any other residuals. Separate compensable ratings may also be considered.

The Board finds that service connection for diabetes mellitus is warranted on a presumptive basis as the Veteran had two consecutive A1C levels of 6.5% or higher within one year of his discharge from military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current diagnosis of diabetes mellitus was not related to his service or a service-connected disability, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's arthritis and bone joint damage were granted service connection, but the claim for diabetes mellitus was denied as there was no clinical diagnosis of diabetes.