The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction (ED) as secondary to service-connected bipolar disorder. The claims for sleep apnea and gastrointestinal disability, including GERD, are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions considering the effects of psychiatric medications.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's ED is aggravated by his service-connected bipolar disorder, but failed to address the effect of psychiatric medications on his other conditions. The Board cannot make a fully informed decision without this information and thus remands the claims for further development.
- Claimed conditions
- erectile dysfunction (ED), sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 11, 2020
- Citation
- 20059997
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 20059997.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease manifesting within one year after service and concluding that the current disability is not related to his in-service deviated septum.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran will be provided with a VA examination to determine if his current sleep disorder is related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the issue of service connection for sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions and need for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder disability, abdominal hernia, GERD, bilateral ankle disabilities, and bilateral foot disabilities. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during the appellant's period of active duty.
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