The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an adequate VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between the appellant's service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II and his obstructive sleep apnea. The examiner must address whether the DM II aggravated the appellant's obesity, which may be considered as an intermediate step in determining secondary service connection.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the current VA medical opinion is inadequate to decide the claim for secondary service connection due to a lack of discussion on the aggravation aspect and obesity as an intermediate step.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Diabetes Mellitus, Type II
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 12, 2023
- Citation
- A23035612
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 A23035612.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected left knee and left ankle conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected other specified insomnia disorder.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and heart disability, including coronary artery disease, as these conditions are found to be proximately due to or the result of the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Neck Disability, and Bilateral Upper Extremity Radiculopathy. The decision is based on the Veteran's active service and medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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