Diabetes Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's type II diabetes mellitus, which is related to his active duty service and presumed due to exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam, contributed substantially to cause the veteran's death. As such, service connection for the cause of the veteran's death is granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for hypertension and service connection for diabetes mellitus, finding that there was no evidence of a current diagnosis or relationship to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus does not warrant an increased rating beyond the currently assigned 20 percent, as it does not require regulation of activities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims to reopen his service connection claims for arthritis of the lumbar spine and diabetes mellitus, type 2 due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for cause of the veteran's death, dependents' educational assistance under Chapter 35, compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for death resulting from VA medical treatment, and entitlement to accrued benefits.

The veteran's cause of death was not caused by or substantially contributed to by a disability incurred in service, and the criteria for payment of DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 have not been met.

The veteran's diabetes mellitus, which was manifested by peripheral neuropathy and required insulin injections and a restricted diet, resulted in multiple hospitalizations and ultimately necessitated a right below-the-knee amputation. The Board found that the evidence was in approximate balance and granted an initial 100 percent schedular rating for diabetes mellitus for the purpose of receiving accrued benefits.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO. The case will be returned to the Board after any necessary actions are taken.

The Board has determined that additional development is required before the claims can be adjudicated, including providing proper notice under Hupp v. Nicholson.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inextricably intertwined issues, including verification of active duty periods and medical records related to diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a videoconference hearing and issuing statements of the case on certain issues.

The veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II is being remanded due to the need to obtain VA and private medical records related to his claim. The case will be reconsidered in light of the potential relevance of the Haas decision.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a right elbow injury, left wrist fracture, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by military service. The claim was also not granted based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents.

The veteran's appeal was denied for service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, skin rashes and growths, and PTSD due to herbicide exposure. The case is REMANDED for rescheduling a Travel Board hearing.

The Board has determined that there is no diagnosed diabetes mellitus or PTSD, and thus service connection for these conditions cannot be granted. The veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are also denied.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his hypertensive heart disease with hypertension and diabetes mellitus with peripheral vascular disease and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence, including medical records from the Philadelphia VAMC.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim of service connection for Diabetes Mellitus, Type II, as secondary to exposure to herbicides.

The Board has determined that the veteran's HIV-related illness with AIDS and diabetes were not incurred or aggravated by service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board denied reopening the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to lack of new and material evidence, including a medical statement from Dr. Raju which did not establish a link between Agent Orange exposure and the causes of the veteran's death.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased disability evaluation for type II diabetes mellitus, finding that his condition did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on regulation of activities.