The Board found that the veteran's diabetic retinopathy did not warrant service connection as it was pre-existing and aggravated by his active duty, but not incurred or aggravated during service.
The deciding factor: The VHA medical opinion concluded that the May 1998 vitreous hemorrhage in the veteran's left eye was a recurrence of previous pathology rather than permanent worsening due to active service.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetic retinopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 19, 2006
- Citation
- 0611183
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0611183.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board denied an effective date prior to April 11, 2013, for the award of service connection for diabetic retinopathy and grade 2+ anterior vacuoles due to a lack of evidence indicating an intent to apply for benefits or communication related to these conditions before that date.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for diabetic retinopathy, chronic kidney disease, a heart disability, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, a colon disability, major depressive disorder, and diabetes mellitus, type 2. The claims for PTSD, chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, type 2, and hypertension were denied.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during its pendency.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for diabetic retinopathy as a secondary condition to the Veteran's service-connected type II diabetes mellitus.
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