Diabetes Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have service connection for diabetes mellitus due to lack of exposure to herbicides and no in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, and increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities have all been denied. The TDIU claim has also been raised.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence. The issues of bilateral hearing loss, chronic tinnitus, and a chronic headache disorder are not addressed as they do not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative disc disease and degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, finding no evidence linking these conditions to active duty. Service connection was also denied for diabetes due to lack of in-service diagnosis or onset.

The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus did not warrant a rating higher than 20 percent, as he was not required to regulate his activities for control of the condition. For PTSD, the Board determined that the current 30 percent rating adequately reflects the level of occupational and social impairment.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II. The Veteran's claims for an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and depression), bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and depression. The Veteran's exposure to herbicides in Vietnam is conceded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to TDIU.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain outstanding VA outpatient treatment records and to associate the evidence submitted at the June 2008 DRO hearing. The case will be remanded for these actions.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is service connected as secondary to herbicide exposure due to his presence around the DMZ in Korea.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the issues of entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus and numbness of the feet at a hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and type II diabetes mellitus due to inadequate VA examinations, and further development is needed.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for type II diabetes mellitus is being remanded due to the need for a more recent VA examination and additional medical records.

The Board has determined that the reduction in evaluation of bilateral hearing loss from 40 percent to 30 percent effective December 1, 2010 is proper.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to service exposure, while his diabetes mellitus type II due to herbicide exposure remains unresolved as the claim was reopened but denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unemployable, and the Board grants a TDIU rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have diabetic retinopathy of the right eye and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied. The claim for hypertension secondary to diabetes mellitus type II remains pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including type II diabetes mellitus and its complications, are denied as there is no evidence of herbicide exposure during his active duty in the Panama Canal Zone. The Board finds that he did not serve in Vietnam or any other location where herbicide exposure can be presumed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection must be remanded due to inadequate development of evidence regarding herbicide exposure and a VA examination is needed to assess his skin disorder.

The Veteran's claim is being remanded because the VA examiner did not provide an opinion on whether his hypertension was caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The case will be returned for a new examination to address this issue.