The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected coronary artery disease.,For the period prior to September 16, 2019, the Veteran’s coronary artery disease was rated at 30 percent and has been increased to 60 percent.,Starting from September 16, 2019, the Veteran's coronary artery disease is rated at 60 percent.,The Veteran's hypertension remains denied as there is no evidence of exposure to Agent Orange or secondary service connection to PTSD or diabetes mellitus.,The Veteran's GERD has been granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD and/or diabetes mellitus.
The deciding factor: Service connection for sleep apnea was granted based on the opinion that it is more likely than not caused by the Veteran’s service-connected coronary artery disease, which led to obesity.,The Veteran's coronary artery disease warranted a rating of 60 percent as he experienced symptoms such as dyspnea, fatigue, and angina at workloads greater than 3 METs but not exceeding 5 METs.,Starting from September 16, 2019, the Veteran’s coronary artery disease was rated at 60 percent due to his workload being between 3 and 5 METs resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, and angina.,The Veteran's hypertension claim was denied as there is no evidence of exposure to Agent Orange or secondary service connection to PTSD or diabetes mellitus.,The GERD claim was granted as it is secondary to the Veteran’s service-connected PTSD and/or diabetes mellitus.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive sleep apnea, Coronary artery disease, Hypertension (to include exposure to Agent Orange and in the alternative, secondary service connection to PTSD), Gastro-esophageal reflux disorder (GERD) (to include secondary service connection to PTSD or diabetes mellitus)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- April 21, 2021
- Citation
- 21023653
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 21023653.
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
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for obstructive sleep apnea and headaches, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of persistent daytime hypersomnolence or other manifestations consistent with a compensable disability rating under the criteria established by Diagnostic Codes. The matter is remanded to obtain additional information from the Veteran regarding his headaches and their impact on his daily life.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart condition was granted with an effective date of August 1, 2019. The decision is based on evidence showing exposure to diesel and gas fuel during service.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected residuals of left foot 5th metatarsal fracture.
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