Diabetes Board decisions

The Veteran's death did not result in any accrued benefits due to the appellant as he was an adult child and not within the class of designated survivors eligible for such payments.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, arthritis of hands and knees, and low back disorder. The evidence did not establish direct service connection as there was no in-service diagnosis or continuity of symptoms after discharge.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current disability of type II diabetes mellitus or bilateral hearing loss due to service. The evidence is against a finding of in-service disease or injury resulting in these disabilities.

The Board found that there was no evidence of diabetes mellitus or ischemic heart disease in service, and the Veteran did not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection due to exposure to herbicides. The right knee arthritis is considered secondary to a service-connected left knee disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's terminal colon cancer was not caused or contributed substantially to his death by any service-connected disability, including those presumed due to Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, the minimum rating available under VA regulations. The evidence does not support a higher evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inconsistencies in the Veteran's service record regarding his alleged exposure to herbicides during service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and diabetic neuropathy of the lower extremities have been denied. The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's conditions warrant higher ratings under applicable rating criteria.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities. The intertwined issue of diabetes mellitus may affect the outcome of peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to a scheduling issue for his travel board hearing. The issues of entitlement to service connection for peripheral vascular disease of the right lower extremity and diabetic retinopathy are still under review.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to conflicting medical evidence regarding his diagnoses and the need for further examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is not related to service and denied reopening his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected ischemic heart disease was a contributory cause of his death from congestive heart failure, and the Board grants entitlement to service connection for the cause of death.

The Board found no credible evidence to support the Veteran's claims of exposure to herbicides or service connection for his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at the University of Kentucky Hospital from September 7, 2012 to September 11, 2012 are now covered by VA as they were for a continued medical emergency due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension due to additional development being required, including a supplemental opinion from the VA examiner.

The Veteran's hypertension is found to be aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The criteria for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus, Type II are not met.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded to the AOJ for additional development, including obtaining a clear copy of the March 2014 addendum VA medical opinion and referring it to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, while impairing his ability to work, do not render him unemployable as a whole. The combined rating of 70% does not meet the threshold requirement for TDIU under section 4.16(a).