The Veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, and bilateral knee disability are denied. The Veteran's claims for initial ratings greater than 10 percent for his lumbosacral spine disability, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity are remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support granting service connection for fibromyalgia or any other conditions. The Veteran's claims for initial ratings greater than 10 percent for his lumbosacral spine disability, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity are remanded as there is insufficient evidence to determine if these disabilities have worsened since their initial evaluations.
- Claimed conditions
- {"conditionName":"fibromyalgia"}, {"conditionName":"lumbosacral spine disability"}, {"conditionName":"peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity"}, {"conditionName":"peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity"}, {"conditionName":"hypertension"}, {"conditionName":"obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)"}, {"conditionName":"diabetes mellitus"}, {"conditionName":"erectile dysfunction"}, {"conditionName":"bilateral knee disability"}
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19172832
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 19172832.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be incurred in service. The bilateral hip and knee disabilities are not directly related to service, but may have been aggravated by the service-connected pes planus.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus was denied as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides and the condition did not manifest within one year after separation from active duty. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy, heart disability, and migraine headaches were also denied.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for hypertension but denied service connection for left ear hearing loss and an initial compensable rating for right ear hearing loss.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected depressive disorder is found to be related to his active service, and he is granted service connection for this condition.
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