Diabetes Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the hands, diagnosed as diabetic neuropathy. However, it denied a higher initial disability rating for diabetes mellitus.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating of his diabetes mellitus, as well as his secondary service connection claims for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and angina.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral foot disorder and type II diabetes mellitus, finding that there was no evidence of such conditions during active service or due to herbicide exposure.

The veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus Type II was denied, as the evidence did not show that his disability warranted an evaluation in excess of 20 percent prior to May 28, 2004. From May 28, 2004, he continued to be rated at 20 percent due to use of insulin and a restricted diet. The reduction from 60 percent for pulmonary tuberculosis with COPD was denied as not being proper.

The Board finds that the veteran is entitled to an effective date of September 27, 2001 for the establishment of service connection for diabetes mellitus. The claim was received more than one year after the May 8, 2001 effective date for this change in regulations. The veteran's erectile dysfunction and low back disorder were not granted as service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for Type 2 diabetes mellitus, finding no evidence of a direct relationship to his military service and rejecting any presumption based on herbicide exposure.

The veteran's treatment at Bay Pines Community Hospital on March 14, 2003, was for a service-connected disability (post-operative residuals of a herniated disc, lumbar spine) and was deemed an emergency due to the severity of his symptoms.,Similarly, the veteran's treatment at Bay Pines Community Hospital on June 5, 2003, was also for a service-connected disability (Type II diabetes mellitus) and was deemed an emergency due to the severity of his symptoms.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a hearing loss disability for VA purposes and her tinnitus is not service-connected. The other conditions listed in the issues section are either not supported by evidence or were resolved prior to separation from service.

The Board has dismissed the veteran's appeals of the initial disability evaluations for his service-connected diabetes mellitus and PTSD as he did not file a timely substantive appeal.

The Board has granted an effective date of May 8, 2001 for the award of service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus with diabetic vascular disease and diabetic nephropathy evaluated as 20 percent disabling.

The Board determined that the veteran's type II diabetes mellitus was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and may not be presumed to have been incurred therein.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise, allowing for service connection of hypertension as secondary to service-connected Type II diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and entitlement to TDIU due to his service-connected disability, tinea versicolor. The evidence did not support a finding of service connection or that the current condition was related to service.

The veteran seeks service connection for diabetes mellitus, arteriosclerotic heart disease, and irritable bowel syndrome with spastic colon and diverticulitis. The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an examination and opinion regarding the relationship between these conditions and active duty service.

The veteran's PTSD has been granted a 100% evaluation effective April 24, 2001. The veteran's diabetes mellitus is not service connected and thus no rating was assigned.

The Board has denied the veteran's request for an earlier effective date of April 19, 1999 for the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus due to exposure to Agent Orange. The veteran initially submitted a claim in 1991 but did not specifically mention diabetes as being related to his military service or Agent Orange exposure.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of his right and left lower extremities, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for Type 2 diabetes mellitus with diabetic retinopathy, finding no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides and concluding that his current condition is not related to his military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA outpatient treatment records and verifying his Reserve service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient verification of the veteran's service in Vietnam, which is required for presumptive service connection under the Agent Orange Act.