The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is not service-connected as it is not related to his service or PTSD.,The Veteran's valvular heart disease is not service-connected due to exposure of herbicide agents and diabetes. The condition is secondary to a previous surgery, not the herbicide exposure.,There is no evidence of peripheral neuropathy in the Veteran's feet.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that obstructive sleep apnea was less likely caused by or aggravated by PTSD.,The VA examiner concluded that valvular heart disease was not related to herbicide exposure and was secondary to a previous surgery, not diabetes.,There is no current diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy in the Veteran's feet.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, valvular heart disease, peripheral neuropathy, bilateral feet
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19184742
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to a duty to assist error.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a 100 percent rating for valvular heart disease based on MET testing showing that at a workload of 3 METs or less, the condition results in fatigue and breathlessness.
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