Diabetes Board decisions

The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension as secondary to his service-connected coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, type II. The case has been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between these conditions.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, and migraine headaches have been withdrawn. The appeal of the claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for lumbar strain is being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and service connection were denied as the earliest effective date allowed by law is August 13, 2010.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board cannot proceed with the merits of this case as he is no longer alive.

The Veteran is service connected for several disabilities, including PTSD and diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction. The Board finds it at least as likely as not that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him incapable of obtaining or maintaining employment that could be considered substantially gainful from February 26, 2008 to April 27, 2010.

The Board has remanded the case to the AOJ for further development, including obtaining service records from the Veteran's Naval Reserve service and obtaining VA medical records. The Veteran is also scheduled for examinations to assess his current diabetes mellitus severity.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2 associated with herbicide exposure was granted on an accrued basis, while the claim for glioblastoma was denied. The Veteran's PTSD claim resulted in a grant of an increased rating.,The Veteran had early manifestations of diabetes prior to his cancer diagnosis and is presumed exposed to herbicides due to service in Vietnam.

The Board finds that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus is at least as likely as not to have had its initial onset within one year of his September 1992 discharge from active service, and grants service connection for this condition on a presumptive basis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his exposure to radiation during service.

The Veteran's claim for a total rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is being remanded due to the need for further examination and development of his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy with cataracts.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy, but denied all other issues on appeal. The Veteran is not shown to have a current diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy or incontinence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have diabetes mellitus or peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied. The Board also found no evidence of herbicide exposure on Guam during the Vietnam era, thus denying service connection based on presumptive exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and insufficient information regarding herbicide exposure. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine if his service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete records and consideration of a specific committee report. The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, including as due to herbicide exposure, remains pending.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus type II and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran is entitled to a TDIU for the period from November 3, 2007 to August 10, 2009 due to service-connected disabilities. The Board found that his diabetes mellitus and related neuropathy, along with his low back disability, made him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II with nephropathy and erectile dysfunction is rated at 20 percent. The claims for higher ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities are granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for type II diabetes mellitus with penile dermatitis, peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development.