Diabetes Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has ordered the VA to make another attempt to obtain medical records from private doctors who treat the Veteran for diabetes. The case will be remanded and reviewed after these records are obtained.

The Veteran's service connection for diabetes mellitus due to Agent Orange exposure was granted, with a retroactive effective date of August 27, 2007. Service connection and initial ratings were also granted for other conditions including CAD, arthritis (unspecified), back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, stomach disorder, and residuals of cold injury of the left hand.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, prostate cancer residuals, bilateral cataracts, and erectile dysfunction. The Veteran was not found to have been exposed to herbicides or other conditions that would trigger presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied, as the evidence did not show that his current condition is related to military service. The initial evaluation of Type II diabetes mellitus from November 16, 2006 to January 21, 2009 was granted at a 10 percent rating.

The Board has scheduled a Travel Board hearing and is remanding the case for further action due to the Veteran's absence from his previously scheduled hearing.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were denied as the evidence did not show a link between any of these conditions and his military service, including exposure to herbicides.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his diabetes mellitus, a contributing cause to his death, is presumed related to his exposure to toxic herbicides while stationed in the Republic of Vietnam. The claim was reopened due to new evidence submitted since the last final denial.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes was not incurred during service and is unrelated to service. The claim for service connection for diabetes must be denied.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his bilateral glaucoma with diabetic retinopathy is being remanded due to procedural issues and the need to consider both sets of rating criteria.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus, grand mal seizures, headaches, dizziness, and bilateral hearing loss were all denied as these conditions are not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension and coronary artery disease, benign prostatic hypertrophy, colon condition, rheumatism, left hand arthritis, right hand arthritis, and kidney condition. The appeals were decided on a direct basis without any presumption of service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus was not incurred in service and denied his claim, concluding that there is no evidence of exposure to herbicides or any other connection between his active duty service and his current condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Travel Board hearing and issuance of a Statement of the Case on issues regarding timely substantive appeals filed with regard to January 2008 rating decisions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities. The issues of increased ratings for these conditions are also being remanded.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension is not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II and posttraumatic stress disorder. The VA examiner opined that there were no specific factors suggesting these conditions caused or worsened the Veteran's hypertension.

The Board found that the Veteran's right and left hip conditions, as well as his diabetes mellitus, were not incurred or aggravated by active service. The preexisting conditions were determined to be non-service connected.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to assess the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed right shoulder disability, including whether it is proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II, coronary artery disease status post myocardial infarction and coronary artery bypass surgery.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for a higher rating for his service-connected Type II Diabetes Mellitus before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus are not related to his military service, as there is no credible evidence of actual exposure to Agent Orange.,VA has also found that the Veteran did not have Vietnam service.