The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed for the GERD, high blood pressure, and respiratory disorder claims due to new VA medical records submitted after the transfer of the appeal to the Board. The Veteran's GERD claim will be remanded for an addendum opinion on whether it is aggravated by service-connected diabetes mellitus type II or obstructive sleep apnea. The high blood pressure claim will be remanded for an addendum opinion regarding its relationship to service-connected diabetes mellitus type II and obesity, as well as whether it is proximately due to or aggravated by service-connected diabetes mellitus type II or obstructive sleep apnea. The respiratory disorder claim will be remanded for clarification of the presence of a COPD diagnosis during active service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that additional evidence was submitted after the transfer of the appeal to the Board, which necessitates further review and potential new opinions on the claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), High blood pressure, Respiratory disorder, to include Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 27, 2022
- Citation
- 22036927
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 22036927.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Dupuytren's contracture of the left hand, right hand, and GERD is remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions and failure to consider toxic exposure risk activities during service.
- Denied
The Veteran's GERD is currently rated at 10 percent disabling, but the Board found that his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), finding that both conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lower back condition and sinusitis, respectively.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for bladder cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
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