The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, cold injury residuals of the bilateral hands, cold injury residuals of the left and right lower extremities, and hypertension as there was no evidence linking these conditions to service.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions found that the Veteran's sleep apnea, cold injury residuals, and hypertension were not caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD. The Board also noted a lack of evidence showing the conditions in question during service or within one year post-service for presumptive service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, hypertension, cold injury residuals of the bilateral hands, cold injury residuals of the left lower extremity, cold injury residuals of the right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20059562
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 20059562.
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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
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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