The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral diabetic retinopathy was denied as there is no evidence of the presence of this condition. The Board found that his vision issues were not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.
The deciding factor: Diabetic retinopathy was not diagnosed in any medical records provided by the Veteran or obtained during the appeal process, and the VA examiners did not find diabetic retinopathy present.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Diabetic Retinopathy, Duodenal Ulcer
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 27, 2013
- Citation
- 1343024
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1343024.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder, duodenal ulcer, and irritable bowel syndrome. The remaining claims regarding a neurological disorder of the left and right elbows were remanded.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus and bilateral diabetic retinopathy, both presumed to be caused by exposure to herbicide agents during the Veteran's service in Thailand. The claim for a heart condition was remanded for further development.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for GERD but denied it for duodenal ulcer, diverticulosis, and hemorrhoids.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
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