Diabetes Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and ensuring compliance with the duty to assist. The Veteran's claims will be readjudicated after this is done.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether PTSD contributed to the Veteran's cause of death, and if so, whether it was service-connected.

The Board found that the Veteran's left nephrectomy was not service connected and denied his claims for secondary service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus was denied as there is no evidence of the disease during active duty or within one year following discharge, and no competent evidence establishing herbicide exposure. The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence did not support the claim.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, heart disorder, dental disability, cataracts, and erectile dysfunction are denied as there is no evidence of in-service incurrence or a relationship to service.,There is no current diagnosis of a dental disability. The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy. Service connection for these conditions cannot be granted on a direct basis due to lack of evidence of an in-service injury, disease, or event and the absence of medical records showing treatment within one year after service.,The Board finds that diabetes mellitus type II is not related to active service as there is no evidence of its onset during service. The Veteran's blood pressure readings were normal at separation from service and post-service hypertension was first diagnosed years later.,Service connection for a heart disorder, cataracts, and erectile dysfunction cannot be granted on a secondary basis because diabetes mellitus type II is not a service-connected disease.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for various conditions, including lumbar spinal stenosis, Adie's tonic syndrome (right eye), nasal deformity, GERD, keratosis, right trapezius muscle spasms (claimed as right shoulder pain), cervical strain, obstructive sleep apnea, thrombosed hemorrhoids, bladder disorder, prostate disorder, basal cell carcinoma, and diabetes mellitus, type II. The Board found that the evidence did not support service connection for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes and knee disabilities do not render him permanently and totally disabled for pension purposes as he is able to engage in substantially gainful employment.

The Board finds that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus was not incurred in service, including as due to herbicide exposure. The objective evidence does not support his claim.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for examinations to assess his diabetes mellitus and retinopathy.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus was not shown to have had its onset during service or within the required presumptive period, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure. The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus.

The Board has denied the appellant's claim for an apportionment of her husband's VA compensation benefits, finding that he was reasonably discharging his responsibility for her during their separation and thus no basis exists for a 'general' apportionment. However, there is no hardship shown to warrant a 'special' apportionment.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for renal failure, heart disease, prostate cancer, removal of the gallbladder, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, skin cancer, and residuals of head trauma. The evidence does not establish herbicide exposure during active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and seeking information from SSA. The appellant's claim will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Board found that the Veteran did not serve on the land mass of Vietnam and thus is not entitled to presumptive service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II. The VA examiner opined that the current diabetes mellitus, type II, was secondary to obesity, which developed after separation from service.

The Board denied service connection for headaches in June 1992. The Veteran's claim of service connection for DM and an eye disorder was remanded by the Board but not fully addressed due to incomplete development.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is rated at 10 percent, but his peripheral vascular disease of the right and left lower extremities are both rated at 40 percent.,Arterial hypertension was found to be aggravated by service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD), and type II diabetes mellitus was denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for a hearing loss disability under VA regulations.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is found to be due to Agent Orange exposure, and service connection is granted. The claim for PTSD remains pending as the stressor has not been verified.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeal for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, right knee disability, left trigger thumb, and nose bleeds is withdrawn. For sinusitis with rhinitis, a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to August 24, 2009, and 30 percent from that date, has been denied.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum rating available under current VA regulations. The Board denied his claim for an increased rating.