Diabetes Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Type II Diabetes Mellitus, including on a presumptive basis due to exposure to herbicides (Agent Orange), is being remanded for further development and consideration.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete verification of his exposure to Agent Orange in Korea. The Board will attempt to verify the allegations and then adjudicate the claims.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for generalized osteoarthritis, bilateral elbow disability, chest palpitations, pre-diabetes, TMJ dysfunction, and periodontal disease due to withdrawal of these claims. Service connection is granted for bilateral carpel tunnel syndrome.

The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus was not related to his service, including exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. As a result, the claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran served in Vietnam and is therefore presumed to have been exposed to herbicide agents, including Agent Orange. The Veteran's ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus type II are service-connected due to this exposure.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, heart condition (coronary atherosclerosis status post angioplasty), colon cancer, and diabetes mellitus, type II. The evidence received since the November 2001 denial is considered new and material.,VA will obtain treatment records from the VA dated after November 2010 and associate them with the claims file.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding no evidence that his lymphoma was caused by herbicide exposure or that diabetes mellitus or fatty liver contributed to his death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, finding that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure and thus no presumption applies. The Veteran's service in Vietnam is not established based on his personnel records and other submitted evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and respiratory disorders on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure. The Veteran did not have confirmed service in Vietnam or any other area where he may have been exposed to herbicides.

The Board found no evidence of in-country service or exposure to herbicides, and thus could not grant service connection for any conditions on that basis. The Veteran's current diagnoses were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is currently manifested by the need for oral hypoglycemic agents and a restricted diet, but no regulation of activities or insulin. The criteria for higher ratings are not met.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service in Vietnam and his presumed exposure to herbicides therein contributed to cause his death, specifically due to pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis related to alcohol abuse. Service connection for the cause of death is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for radiculopathy with a noncompensable rating, denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, and deferred service connection for a cervical spine disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus with right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy was received on April 1, 2008. The effective date of this award is set at the date of receipt of the claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of a nexus between his claimed conditions and his military service, including exposure to herbicides. The Board found that the Veteran did not serve in Vietnam and thus could not establish presumptive service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus contributed to his death from pancreatic cancer, and grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current diagnosis of diabetes mellitus is not related to his military service, including exposure to herbicides. The evidence does not support a finding of in-country service or exposure to Agent Orange during his time aboard the U.S.S. Passumpsic.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2 and urinary tract infection. The claim for a compensable rating for hypertension was also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including atherosclerotic heart disease with old myocardial infarction and diabetes mellitus, precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation as of May 15, 2002. He met the threshold schedular requirements for an award of TDIU benefits under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a) as of that date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability is not service-connected, and denied increased evaluations for diabetes and diabetic neuropathy.