Diabetes Board decisions

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetic retinopathy, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and peripheral vascular disease, all to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus type II (DM-II). The remaining issues are REMANDED.

The Board has determined that the veteran's diabetes mellitus is presumed to have been incurred in service due to his Vietnam-era exposure. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy, which is secondary to the diabetes mellitus, has also been granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination. The veteran's diabetes mellitus is being evaluated based on direct service connection theory.

The veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection of diabetes mellitus type II has been withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of his case.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, finding that it was not incurred in or aggravated by his military service.

The Board has decided the veteran's claims for higher ratings for his diabetes mellitus and dysthymic disorder. The initial rating for diabetes mellitus remains at 20 percent, but a higher 40 percent rating is granted as of May 10, 2006. The claim for a TDIU is denied, and the issue regarding whether he filed a timely appeal in response to the denial of an initial rating higher than 30 percent for his heart disease must be resolved.

The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of death due to tobacco use in service and also denied eligibility for dependents' educational assistance benefits.,The veteran's fatal heart disease, artery disease, renal disease, and diabetes were not incurred or aggravated by his active duty service.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine if the veteran's diabetes mellitus was caused or aggravated by his service-connected residuals of a fracture of the mandible, and whether it had its onset during service.

The veteran's non-service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on need of regular aid and attendance or being housebound.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied across the board. The Board found that none of the claimed conditions are related to his period of active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of May 17, 2005 for his TDIU due to lack of factual ascertainability prior to that date and because he did not meet the schedular criteria for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability.

The Board has remanded the case to obtain additional VA treatment records from before May 8, 2001. The veteran is seeking an effective date earlier than June 25, 2002 for service connection of Type II diabetes mellitus as a result of exposure to herbicides.

The Board has determined that the veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II does not warrant a higher initial disability rating than 20 percent due to its current manifestations.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board hearing at the RO and sending notice of the hearing to his current address.

The veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to his death.

The Board and RO have previously denied service connection for various conditions, including a low back disability, diabetes mellitus, heart disorder, right shoulder disorder, bilateral foot disorder, right leg disorder, and right side of the body disorders. The most recent denial was in March 1998 by the RO, which found no new and material evidence to reopen these claims.

The Board denied service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to service-connected diabetes, but granted an effective date of May 8, 2001 for the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for fibromyalgia, vertigo, otitis externa in the right ear, diabetes mellitus type II, primary open angle glaucoma, bilateral hearing loss, and PTSD. The appeals were all denied as there was no credible evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and Bell's palsy as secondary to his service-connected knee disabilities. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to any of the veteran's service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus (type II), Sweet's syndrome, decreased visual acuity of each eye, and residuals of diabetic acidosis (lactic acidosis) are not supported by competent medical evidence.