Diabetes Board decisions

The Board has determined that further development is necessary for proper adjudication of the claims, including verifying exposure to herbicides and cleaning chemicals during service.

The Veteran's appeal for increased evaluations of his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II and PTSD was dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus type II as due to herbicide exposure are granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prior to January 17, 2008 did not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension, which he contends is secondary to his service-connected coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus (DM), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Board has remanded the case for additional development.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II was denied as his original claim was not adjudicated under liberalizing legislation and he did not meet eligibility criteria for retroactive payment.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board also noted that more recent VA treatment records from the Atlanta VAMC and East Point COBC need to be obtained.

The Veteran's bunions were previously denied in an October 2005 rating decision. The claim was reopened, but new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the claim.,Service connection for a back disability is granted. Service connection for sleep apnea is also granted as secondary to service-connected coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for any of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for diabetes mellitus due to VA treatment for bipolar disorder was granted, and service connection for bipolar disorder was also granted with an effective date of May 1, 2003.

The Veteran seeks service connection for diabetes mellitus, which he claims is due to in-service exposure to nerve agents and other chemicals. The Board finds that a VA examination is needed to address the relationship between his current condition and his military service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is granted as due to herbicide exposure during his service in Vietnam.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for erectile dysfunction, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy. The decision found that there was no current disability for each condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD; benign prostatic hypertrophy; and a higher initial rating for diabetes mellitus type II. The evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for diabetic nephropathy was denied as his condition did not meet the criteria for any higher rating under VA's schedular guidelines. His hypertension was found to be unrelated to his diabetic nephropathy.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of sufficient severity to preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension as aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected type II diabetes mellitus.

The Board found that the Veteran did not set foot in Vietnam and was not exposed to herbicides, thus denying service connection for diabetes mellitus. The Board also determined that there is no evidence of actual exposure to herbicides or any other means by which the claimed conditions could be related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and to ensure all relevant records are associated with the claims file.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded for additional development, including verification of herbicide exposure and consideration of the new evidence.