Diabetes Board decisions

The Board found no evidence of diabetes mellitus or enlarged prostate disorder during service, and the Veteran's current diagnoses are not linked to his military service. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, Type II is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his exposure to herbicides during his service in Thailand.

The Veteran's prostate disorder, diagnosed as BPH, diabetes mellitus type 2, and chloracne are not service-connected due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes requires insulin, a restricted diet, and regulation of activities. As such, a 40 percent rating is granted for his service-connected Type II Diabetes Mellitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy (claimed as tingling of the hands and feet), sexual impotence, and recurring increases in blood sugar levels were not incurred or aggravated by service. The claims are denied.

The Board found that diabetes mellitus was not incurred or aggravated by service and is not caused by a service-connected disability. As such, the claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus secondary to hepatitis C was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus does not meet or approximate the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent, as his condition is controlled with insulin and a restricted diet without requiring regulation of activities, episodes of ketoacidosis or hypoglycemic reactions requiring hospitalization.

The Board has determined that the reduction in the disability rating for diabetes mellitus from 40 to 20 percent as of November 30, 2006 was improper due to the appellant's service-connected diabetes mellitus not exhibiting improvement. As a result, the appellant is entitled to restoration of his original 40 percent disability rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and retinopathy are denied as there is no diagnosed condition. The claim for service connection of bilateral upper extremity and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition has been reopened and granted. Service connection is also established for diabetes mellitus type II as a result of herbicide exposure (Agent Orange). The Veteran's interstitial fibrosis (asbestosis) was found to be aggravated by his pre-existing asbestos exposure.,The Veteran's corn on the right little toe and left shoulder condition claims are not supported by evidence.

The Veteran is found to be unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities, particularly his PTSD.

The claim to reopen the service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death was denied because the new evidence did not relate to the basis for the prior denial.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity to preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2, finding no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents and noting that the first documented evidence of diabetes was in approximately 2002. The Board also found no medical evidence linking the current condition to military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, claimed as due to herbicide exposure is being remanded. The RO will attempt to verify the Veteran's alleged herbicide exposure with the Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC) and/or any other appropriate facility by obtaining unit information of the 8th FMS at Ubon Airfield in Thailand from August 1965 to August 1966 to determine the unit's location within the airfield. The RO will also determine whether the Veteran's MOS is recognized as one that regularly had contact with the airbase perimeter.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus with peripheral neuropathy of the fingers and toes has been in effect since October 11, 2006. The RO reduced the rating from 40 percent to 20 percent effective March 1, 2008.,The RO granted an earlier effective date for separate ratings of 10 percent each for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities since October 11, 2006.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining deck logs of the U.S.S. O'Hare and any other relevant records to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service in Vietnam.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and diabetes mellitus are not related to active service, including as due to a service-connected disability. Therefore, these claims have been denied.

The Board found that the evidence did not demonstrate that the Veteran's psychiatric symptoms precluded him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to June 17, 2005.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him incapable of obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to November 3, 2008.