Diabetes Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss of the left ear and diabetes mellitus, type 2. The claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for PTSD was also denied.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension, which he claims is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Board has determined that further development of the record is needed, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is presumed to have been due to service, including herbicide exposure. The Board finds that the Veteran has current peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, and erectile dysfunction that are related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, bilateral tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss. The decision found no evidence of in-service onset or relationship to service.

The VA determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus does not warrant a rating in excess of 20 percent, as it has not required regulation of activities or hospitalization for ketoacidosis or hypoglycemic reactions.

The Veteran's service-connected erectile dysfunction does not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a creative organ.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease (CAD) and diabetes mellitus, are reasonably shown to be of such nature and severity as to preclude him from participating in any regular substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 70%, meeting the minimum schedular criteria for TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a). However, his service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable due to their severity alone.

The Board has dismissed the appellant's claims of entitlement to earlier effective dates for service connection due to a final rating decision in May 2003 and June 2004, which cannot be revised based on clear and unmistakable error.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus was denied as there is no evidence of a disease or injury in service, and the Board found that he did not have exposure to herbicide agents during his military service.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and onychomycosis, finding that the Veteran's service did not involve duty or visitation in Vietnam. The evidence does not support a finding of exposure to herbicides.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, with hypertension due to exposure to Agent Orange as there was no evidence of Vietnam service and thus no presumption of herbicide exposure applies. The Veteran did not provide sufficient evidence to establish his own exposure to herbicides during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for Bell's palsy as secondary to his service-connected hearing loss. The combined evaluation of his service-connected disabilities is currently at 80 percent.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II is being remanded due to the lack of verification of herbicide exposure in Okinawa, Japan. The case will be readjudicated after further development.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the appellant did not meet the legal criteria for accrued benefits.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, to include as due to exposure to Agent Orange, was denied. The Board found no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides and the initial clinical evidence of diabetes was many years after service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected diabetes mellitus is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and further development of the case.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have Type II diabetes mellitus, and therefore cannot establish service connection for this condition as a direct result of his military service. The claim is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 30, 2004 for the grant of service connection and a 20 percent rating for diabetes mellitus was denied as there is no provision in the law for awarding an earlier effective date based on his assertion that he had diabetes before filing his claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not service-connected, as there is no competent evidence of their onset or association with his military service.