The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypercholesterolemia is denied as it does not represent a disability in and of itself.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar strain with spondylosis prior to October 22, 2019 and hypertension are remanded due to inadequate examination and the need for additional medical opinions.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disability is remanded as there is insufficient evidence regarding its relationship to in-service events.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II (DMII) and psychiatric disorder are remanded due to inadequate examination and the need for additional medical opinions.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability is remanded as there is insufficient evidence regarding its relationship to in-service events.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and erectile dysfunction are remanded due to inadequate examination and the need for additional medical opinions.,The Veteran's claim for secondary service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to lumbar spine disability is remanded.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of a current disability for VA purposes, thus service connection cannot be granted.,VA must obtain an adequate retrospective medical opinion concerning the Veteran's lumbar spine range of motion and whether obesity caused by his lumbar spine disability is a substantial factor in causing hypertension, DMII, or sleep apnea.,The private medical opinion does not provide full, adequate opinions regarding obesity as an intermediate step for service connection purposes. A remand is necessary to obtain such opinions.,VA must obtain a VA examiner's opinion concerning whether the Veteran's lumbar spine caused or aggravated his depression and provide separate findings and rationales regarding both causation and aggravation.,VA must obtain a VA examination and opinion as to whether the Veteran's cervical spine disability is secondary to his lumbar spine disability, including discussion of the medical literature submitted by the Veteran.,The private medical opinion does not present an adequate rationale for the claim. A remand is necessary to obtain a VA opinion concerning whether the Veteran's morphea is related to his insect bites and vaccinations during service.,VA must obtain a secondary service connection opinion as to whether the Veteran's ED is secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol), Lumbar strain with spondylosis, Skin disability, Hypertension, Diabetes mellitus, type II (DMII), Psychiatric disorder, Cervical spine disability, Sleep apnea, Erectile dysfunction (ED)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 14, 2022
- Citation
- 22063455
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 22063455.
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 claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) due to insufficient evidence of record. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if his conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
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