Diabetes Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and congestive heart failure were denied as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides or other factors linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence does not constitute new and material evidence to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disability rating is 90%, which satisfies the percentage requirements for TDIU. However, his service-connected disabilities alone do not preclude him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran is granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II due to presumed exposure to herbicides during visitation in Vietnam. The condition was diagnosed and treated at the VA Medical Center in Boise, Idaho.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease secondary to his service-connected hypertension. The remaining issues of increased rating for hypertension, service connection for diabetes mellitus, and service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability are referred back to the RO for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, sleep apnea, and diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's hypertension is found to have begun in service and was aggravated by his service-connected sleep apnea. His sleep apnea is found to have begun in service and is related to his service-connected sleep apnea. Diabetes mellitus is found to be caused by the Veteran's service-connected sleep apnea.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and a supplemental opinion from the VA examiner.

The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus are presumed to have been incurred in service due to exposure to Agent Orange. The Board found the evidence equally balanced as to whether the Veteran's PTSD is related to his fear of hostile military activity during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for further development regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicides during service in Korea. The Veteran served in Company C, 51st Signal Battalion (Combat) and claims he was exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicide while stationed along the DMZ.

The Veteran seeks service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, which he claims is due to exposure to Agent Orange while stationed in the Republic of Vietnam. The claim is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's diabetes and related circulatory problems were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of exposure to herbicides during his active duty. The Board finds that the Veteran's diabetes was first diagnosed more than three decades after his last period of active duty.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including Type II diabetes mellitus and related conditions, coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease of the lower extremities, peripheral neuropathy, erectile dysfunction, and left knee instability, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that he is entitled to a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions have been denied. The Board found that new evidence was submitted to reopen some claims, but the preponderance of the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for any condition.

The Veteran's service aboard the U.S.S. Oklahoma City did not involve actual herbicide exposure, and his diabetes mellitus type II first manifested many years after service, with no evidence of a causal relationship to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus was not incurred in or aggravated by service and denied the claim.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type I and cataracts, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing conditions were aggravated by service and that her cataracts are secondary to her service-connected diabetes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not etiologically related to his period of service and does not meet the criteria for secondary service connection based on a service-connected disorder.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is denied as his unemployability is primarily due to his bipolar disorder, not his service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to incomplete records and need for further medical examination.