The Board denied service connection for diabetes, neuropathy of the bilateral lower and upper extremities, and sleep apnea as not being related to the Veteran's military service. The Board also denied an increased rating for depression prior to August 1, 2022, and earlier effective dates for TDIU and DEA.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding of a medical nexus between the claimed conditions and the Veteran's military service due to lack of in-service symptoms or diagnosis, and no competent medical opinion linking the current conditions to service was provided.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes, neuropathy of the left lower extremity, neuropathy of the left upper extremity, neuropathy of the right lower extremity, neuropathy of the right upper extremity, sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 25, 2025
- Citation
- A25027699
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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and no competent evidence linking the condition to service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
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