Diabetes Board decisions

The Veteran's low back disorder is rated at 40 percent, the highest available rating for a lumbar spine disability. The other issues are either granted or referred to the AOJ.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not have its clinical onset in service or for many years thereafter and is not otherwise related to active duty. Therefore, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied.

The Veteran requested withdrawal of his appeal regarding the reopening of service connection for diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected disabilities and seeks increased ratings for various conditions. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical examinations and opinions regarding the severity of his PVD, diabetes mellitus, and diabetic retinopathy with cataracts.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rate of SMC was granted, and the effective date for this grant was set at May 13, 2014. The Veteran also received an earlier effective date for his entitlement to SMC.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including ulnar neuropathy of the right upper extremity, type II diabetes mellitus, and peripheral polyneuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, combine to render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction, PTSD, coronary artery disease, connective tissue disorder, tinnitus, and appendectomy, produce sufficient impairment to make him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension, reopening the underlying claims. The Veteran's PTSD remains at a 70% rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for numbness of the hands, psoriasis, a lower extremity disability, an undiagnosed respiratory disorder, and diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to verify the Veteran's exposure to commercial herbicides at the San Diego Naval Base and to obtain a medical opinion on whether his diabetes mellitus is related to such exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, considered in combination, precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to October 15, 2010, and that no disability(ies) distinct from those considered in the 100 percent combined schedular rating effective from October 15, 2010 rendered him unemployable.

The Veteran's claim for retroactive induction into a vocational rehabilitation program was denied because the training he pursued during his initial period did not meet the criteria of being applicable to his disability, consistent with his abilities and interests.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to afford him a comprehensive examination and for consideration of whether any additional separate compensable ratings are warranted for his diabetic complications.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus in March 2003, finding no evidence of its onset during active duty or within the presumptive period. The motion alleging CUE was denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development including an addendum medical opinion and issuance of a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC). The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, to include as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction, PTSD, and coronary artery disease, is now pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected seizure disorder did not hasten his metastatic cancer, and therefore does not meet the criteria for service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for PTSD was withdrawn prior to the Board's decision. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities remains.

The Veteran does not have tinnitus, a bilateral knee disability, colon polyps, hypertension, PTSD, or diabetic peripheral neuropathy that is related to active service.,There is no evidence of any diagnosed disabilities in the claims file and no medical opinion linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Board has determined that additional development, including a new opinion from the examiner who provided the June 2009 opinion or an appropriate medical professional if unavailable, is needed due to conflicting information regarding the onset of both conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.