Diabetes Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 8, 2008 for the grant of a TDIU was denied as there was no evidence that he was unemployable due to his service-connected conditions prior to this date.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at a private medical facility from January 1, 2007 to January 5, 2007 are granted as the treatment was for a service-connected condition and not feasible to be provided by VA or federal facilities.

The Veteran's depression is found to be related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction and PTSD, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the additional disability resulting from the June 2004 cervical spine surgery and follow-up care was not caused by VA fault or a reasonably foreseeable consequence of the surgery, thus denying compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus and residuals of carcinoma of the left cheek, finding that these conditions are related to active service. The Veteran's exposure to environmental toxins during his service at Andersen AFB in Guam is considered.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support service connection for diabetes mellitus or diabetic dermopathy of the lower legs, as both conditions are not related to military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further development and examination, including a VA examination to address the credibility of the Veteran's statements regarding service events and symptoms.

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and degenerative disc and joint disease of the lumbar spine are granted as secondary to his service-connected compression fracture of L-1. The TDIU claim is also granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus did not manifest during service or within one year post-service, and there is no medical evidence linking his current diagnosis to service. The other conditions have not been established as related to service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for diabetes mellitus is being remanded due to the need to verify his exposure in inland waterways of Vietnam, as he claims.

The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus as secondary to in-service herbicide exposure.

The Veteran withdrew her increased rating claims for the listed disabilities and her claim for a TDIU before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to potential in-service exposure to Agent Orange and a need for further examination regarding hypertension.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is denied as he does not meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD. His claim for increased rating of diabetic retinopathy is also denied due to lack of any related visual impairment.

The Veteran's hypertension, myopathic syndrome and muscle disorder, and diabetes mellitus type II were not incurred during a period of active duty service or within one year of discharge.,Hyperlipidemia is considered a laboratory finding and does not qualify as a disability for VA purposes.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected PTSD and diabetes mellitus. The issue of entitlement to TDIU prior to June 2, 2010, is also being remanded.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, and the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions likely preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the Board finding that it was not properly addressed in previous decisions. The case will be returned for further evaluation and consideration of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetic retinopathy, with cataracts and associated presbyopia and ametropia, is currently rated at 30 percent from March 5, 2013.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling the Veteran for VA examinations to assess his current disabilities.