The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and peripheral vascular disease of the bilateral lower extremities, finding that there was no medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service or a previously service-connected disability. The Veteran's service treatment records were silent for any complaints or diagnoses related to these conditions, and the weight of the competent medical opinions indicated that they were not caused by or aggravated by his diabetes, ischemic heart disease, or other service-connected disabilities.,The Board also denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: There was no medical evidence linking sleep apnea and peripheral vascular disease of the bilateral lower extremities to a period of service or a previously service-connected disability. The weight of competent medical opinions indicated that these conditions were caused by risk factors unrelated to service, including obesity, smoking, gender, and age for sleep apnea; and diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and other risk factors for peripheral vascular disease.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, peripheral vascular disease of the bilateral lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 15, 2017
- Citation
- 1722343
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 1722343.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease manifesting within one year after service and concluding that the current disability is not related to his in-service deviated septum.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran will be provided with a VA examination to determine if his current sleep disorder is related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the issue of service connection for sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions and need for further development.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claims for sleep apnea and an increased disability rating for diabetes mellitus, type II.
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