The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea was aggravated by his service-connected disabilities, and thus grants service connection for this condition. However, there is no evidence of hypertension during or contemporary to the appeal period, so service connection for hypertension is denied.
The deciding factor: The December 2011 VA examiner found that the Veteran had elevated blood pressure readings as a natural response to pain, anxiety, and stress, but did not have a diagnosis of hypertension. The Board finds this evidence more persuasive than any lay opinion regarding the presence of hypertension during or contemporary to the appeal period.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 27, 2015
- Citation
- 1531855
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 1531855.
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 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 Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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