The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea has been reopened and is being remanded.,An effective date earlier than January 6, 2015 for the evaluation of generalized anxiety disorder is denied.,An effective date earlier than January 6, 2015 for the evaluation of left lower extremity sciatica is denied.,The reduction in disability rating for ischemic heart disease from 60 to 30 percent was proper and remains valid.,A compensable disability rating for COPD prior to July 19, 2018 is denied. A 10% disability rating for COPD from July 19, 2018 is granted.,An effective date earlier than January 6, 2015 for the evaluation of hypertension is denied.
The deciding factor: New and material evidence has been received sufficient to reopen the previously denied claim of service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran's claim remains pending in the remand section.,The criteria for an effective date earlier than January 6, 2015 for the evaluation of generalized anxiety disorder have not been met.,The criteria for an effective date earlier than January 6, 2015 for the evaluation of left lower extremity sciatica have not been met.,The reduction in disability rating for ischemic heart disease from 60 to 30 percent was made in compliance with due process laws and regulations.,For the period on appeal prior to July 19, 2018, the Veteran's service-connected COPD manifested with pulmonary function testing (PFT) results no less than FEV-1 of 71 to 80 percent predicted. Since July 19, 2018, the Veteran’s service-connected COPD has manifested with PFT results no less than FEV-1 of 56 to 70 percent predicted.,The criteria for an effective date earlier than January 6, 2015 for the evaluation of hypertension have not been met.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, generalized anxiety disorder, left lower extremity sciatica, degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, COPD, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 1, 2020
- Citation
- 20037180
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 20037180.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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.
- 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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The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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