The Veteran's service connection claim for a left eye cataract, secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, is granted. However, the claim for chronic fatigue syndrome and bradycardia (secondary to hepatitis C and diabetes mellitus) is denied.,Service connection for a left eye disability other than a cataract is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus is found to be the primary cause of his left eye cataract, as supported by medical literature indicating that cortical cataracts occur more often and earlier in patients with diabetes mellitus.,There is no diagnosed case of CFS or a disability manifested by dizziness and fatigue during the appeal period. The Veteran's symptoms are attributed to nonservice-connected bradycardia and hypoglycemia.
- Claimed conditions
- Hepatitis C, Left Eye Cataract, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Bradycardia
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 2, 2019
- Citation
- 19190520
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 19190520.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for congestive heart failure with implanted pacemaker, bradycardia, valvular heart disease, and atrial fibrillation, secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hypertension.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including PTSD, IBS, cardiac arrhythmia, CFS, chronic headaches, chronic sinusitis, dyspnea, and fibromyalgia. The claim for bilateral pes planus was remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a new VA addendum opinion to determine if the Veteran's liver cancer and hepatitis C are related to his active service, including exposure to agent orange.
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