Erectile dysfunction Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have diabetes mellitus or ulcerative colitis due to service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board found that the veteran's testicle disorder, erectile dysfunction, and impotency were not related to his active military service or a service-connected condition. The VA examiner opined that these conditions were more likely due to endocrine insufficiency, hypopituitarism, and hypothyroidism.

The Board found that the veteran's diabetes warranted a 20 percent rating, CAD warranted a 30 percent rating, and hypertension did not warrant any compensable rating. The initial ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the left hand and erectile dysfunction were also granted.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction secondary to PTSD can be adjudicated.

The Board found no evidence of a primary sleep disorder and denied service connection for chronic sleep disorder. The veteran's erectile dysfunction was not addressed due to lack of examination, but the issue is remanded for further evaluation.

The veteran's claim for an increase in his rating for diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and consideration of additional evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA outpatient records, conducting examinations to assess the veteran's conditions and their relationship to service or other factors, and ensuring that all notification requirements have been satisfied.

The veteran's claim for special monthly pension payable at the housebound rate is denied as he does not meet the criteria of having a single permanent disability rated as 100 percent under the rating schedule or a separate disability or disabilities independently ratable at 60 percent or more.

The Board has determined that the veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder, is not service-connected. Essential hypertension and coronary artery disease are also not service-connected, but are found to be related to diabetes mellitus. Erectile dysfunction is not service-connected, but is considered proximately due to diabetes mellitus. Chronic tinnitus is service-connected as a complication of hearing loss.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grants of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction is denied as lacking legal merit due to the one-year retroactive limit imposed by VA regulations.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to new evidence and examination.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to fully consider the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and erectile dysfunction, including secondary to medications taken for service-connected disabilities. This includes obtaining VA medical records from Grand Rapids, Michigan, reviewing a VA urologist's opinion on the etiology of the veteran's erectile dysfunction, and ensuring all legal requirements are met.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including myocardial infarction, amputation, osteomyelitis, diabetes mellitus, and erectile dysfunction, do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection of impotency with erectile dysfunction and tinea pedis and cruris (groin rash) due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active service or a service-connected disability.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a respiratory disorder independent from his sleep disorder. The GERD, sleep disorder, and erectile dysfunction are all related to service-connected conditions or other causes.

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent since September 1, 2004. The RO has granted a higher rating to 70 percent effective from September 1, 2004.,Prior to June 30, 2004, the veteran's PTSD was rated at 30 percent.

The veteran's hypertension claim was denied, and his SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ claim was also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an initial disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent for prostate cancer with residual erectile dysfunction and incontinence, including a separate evaluation for erectile dysfunction.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction as secondary to his service-connected balanitis xerotica obliterans with urethral stricture (BXO) with US.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.