The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea due to service, with a focus on whether these conditions are related to his presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The Veteran will need VA examinations to determine if his hypertension is linked to his service-connected adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, and if his sleep apnea is caused or aggravated by either condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension may be related to his presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam based on updated NAS findings. The Veteran will need a VA examination to determine this relationship. For his obstructive sleep apnea, the Board noted that there is no medical opinion linking it to his service-connected adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood or his hypertension.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20005100
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 Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
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