The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetic retinopathy, tinnitus, ischemic heart disease, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) have been denied.,Service connection has also not been granted for peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity or left upper extremity.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a current diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy during the period on appeal, and there is no nexus between the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus and his claimed condition.,There is no medical evidence linking the Veteran’s tinnitus to active service. The VA examiner found that the onset was after separation from service and not related to any in-service noise exposure.,The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of ischemic heart disease, and there is no evidence of such during his period of service. The VA examiner found no history or symptoms associated with ischemic heart disease.,There is no medical evidence linking the Veteran’s PTSD to active service. The Veteran has consistently denied any mental health issues and does not have a current diagnosis for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD).,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity is manifested by moderate, incomplete paralysis of the radial nerve.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity is also manifested by moderate, incomplete paralysis of the radial nerve.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetic retinopathy, tinnitus, ischemic heart disease, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- November 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19183725
Veterans Law Judge
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19183725.
What this means for you
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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 claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, including ischemic heart disease. The evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to service.
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