The Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension have been denied as there is no evidence of their onset in service or within one year after separation, and the Board finds that they are not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension were not incurred in service or caused by herbicide exposure. The examiner also opined that the Veteran's hypertension was less likely due to his diabetes mellitus type II disability because there was no renal damage, which is a mechanism by which diabetes can cause hypertension.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 2, 2018
- Citation
- 1819583
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 1819583.
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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no competent evidence to support a finding that his current condition began in or as a result of service.
- Denied
The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as there is no current diagnosis of this condition during the appeal period.
- 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.
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