The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is being remanded for further development due to the need for a new medical opinion addressing its etiology and whether it is secondary to PTSD or sleep apnea.,The Veteran's eye condition is being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with his diabetes mellitus claim.,The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with his diabetes mellitus and/or sleep apnea claims.,The Veteran's neuropathy of the right upper extremity, left upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity are all being remanded for further development due to their secondary relationship to his diabetes mellitus.,The Veteran's respiratory disorder is being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with his service-connected PTSD, sleep apnea, and/or diabetes mellitus claims.,,,
The deciding factor: A new medical opinion is needed to address the etiology of the Veteran's diabetes mellitus and whether it is secondary to PTSD or sleep apnea. The current examiner employed an incorrect standard in addressing these issues.,The matter must be remanded again due to its inextricably intertwined nature with other claims, including service connection for diabetes mellitus.,A new medical opinion is needed to address the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension as secondary to his PTSD, sleep apnea, and/or diabetes mellitus. The current examiner failed to consider the Veteran’s lay statements regarding hypertension symptoms.,The matter must be remanded again due to its inextricably intertwined nature with other claims, including service connection for diabetes mellitus.,A new medical opinion is needed to address whether the Veteran's respiratory disorder is related to his service-connected PTSD, sleep apnea, and/or asbestos exposure. The current examiner failed to consider the Veteran’s lay statements regarding respiratory symptoms.,,,
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, eye condition, hypertension, neuropathy of the right upper extremity, neuropathy of the left upper extremity, neuropathy of the right lower extremity, neuropathy of the left lower extremity, respiratory disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20064854
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.
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The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
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- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
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