The Board has determined that the Veteran's residual disability of right cerebellar ischemia is proximately due to his service-connected ischemic heart disease with pacemaker implantation, and thus grants service connection for this condition. However, the Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral macular degeneration is not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus or any other service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: The October 2014 VA optometrist found that the Veteran's macular degeneration was less likely than not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and attributed it to risk factors such as age, family history, and hypertension.
- Claimed conditions
- residual disability of right cerebellar ischemia, bilateral macular degeneration
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 24, 2015
- Citation
- 1536120
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 1536120.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in a previous VA examiner's opinion regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral macular degeneration pre-existed service and was aggravated by military service. The case is now pending further clarification from an appropriate medical professional.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) for his service-connected bilateral focal chorioretinitis, bilateral optic neuritis, peripheral retinal degeneration, bilateral macular degeneration, and bilateral optic neuropathy, as well as PTSD with unspecified neurocognitive disorder and TBI.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for eye disability, including bilateral exotropia, macular degeneration, cataracts, dry eye syndrome, and pinguecula, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were caused by or related to the Veteran's military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral macular degeneration and photophobia as there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.
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