Diabetes Board decisions

The Board found that the veteran's diabetes mellitus was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred in service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information and need for additional medical records and examination.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetic nephropathy with hypertension and diabetes mellitus, finding that the current disability rating of 20 percent adequately reflects his condition.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension as secondary to diabetes mellitus, but denied an increased evaluation for the service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The veteran's death was due to atherosclerotic heart disease and diabetes mellitus, both of which were not service-connected. The appellant seeks benefits for the cause of her husband's death, TDIU, and educational assistance under Chapter 35. However, the Board found that neither condition was service-connected or related to any service-connected disability.

The Board found that the veteran's diabetes mellitus did not require a higher rating due to its impact on his activities or episodes of ketoacidosis/hypoglycemic reactions. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent was denied.

The VA determined that there is no evidence of a relationship between the veteran's diagnosed type II diabetes mellitus and his military service, including alleged chemical exposure therein.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right axilla lipoma (claimed as liposarcoma) and PTSD, and denied his increased rating claim for Type II diabetes mellitus. The evaluation of hypertensive vascular disease from March 5, 2003, Osgood-Schlatter's disease of the right knee from March 5, 2004, and Osgood-Schlatter's disease of the left knee from March 5, 2004, have also been denied. The veteran's daughter has not been recognized as a helpless child.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for residuals of a cold injury to the hands and feet, diabetes mellitus as secondary to a cold injury, residuals of pneumonia, and bilateral sympathectomy. The evidence did not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The veteran's service-connected Type II diabetes mellitus is currently rated as 20 percent disabling, but the evidence does not support a higher rating for the period prior to January 29, 2003.,The veteran's hypertension is currently noncompensable and the medical evidence does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for residuals of a nonunion fracture of the right medial malleolus due to new and material evidence. The veteran's preexisting condition was aggravated by active military service, warranting service connection.

The Board found that the veteran did not have a verified in-service stressor for PTSD, and thus denied service connection. The veteran's diabetes mellitus, depression, and coronary artery disease were also denied as they are not related to his active duty service.

The veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further evaluation due to the need for additional medical examination and consideration of new evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus and congestive heart failure, finding that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims. The Board also found no service connection due to lack of nexus between current conditions and service.

The VA has determined that there is no current evidence of diabetic retinopathy and thus cannot establish service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by, or hastened by, VA care and treatment. The appellant's claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is denied.

The veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, currently rated at 20 percent, is found to warrant a higher initial rating of 40 percent.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there was no evidence linking the veteran's death to his military service or exposure to herbicides.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension is not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus and therefore denied the claim of service connection for hypertension.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have diabetic retinopathy or any other eye disability related to diabetes mellitus, and therefore service connection for this condition is denied.