The Veteran's onychomycosis of the feet is granted as service-connected due to presumed herbicide exposure in Vietnam.,Service connection for COPD and obstructive sleep apnea are denied, with no current evidence linking these conditions to service or presumptive exposure to herbicides.,The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is not related to his service, including presumed herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's onychomycosis of the feet was likely caused by in-service herbicide exposure and has been diagnosed since separation from service.,VA examiners concluded that COPD and obstructive sleep apnea are not related to service or presumed herbicide exposure, citing lack of evidence during service and long latency periods between service and diagnosis.,The VA examiner found no medical literature linking herbicide exposure to obstructive sleep apnea.
- Claimed conditions
- onychomycosis of the feet, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 25, 2023
- Citation
- 23053241
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 23053241.
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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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Denied
The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as there is no current diagnosis of this condition during the appeal period.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active service or any related exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's respiratory disability, including asthma and COPD, is denied as service connection is not warranted due to the condition being solely attributed to smoking.
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