The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether PTSD caused or aggravated obesity, and whether OSA is at least as likely as not aggravated by PTSD. The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea including secondary to PTSD will be reconsidered with these issues addressed.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide an opinion on whether the PTSD caused or aggravated the obesity which played a role in the development of the sleep apnea, nor did they address whether the PTSD may have caused or aggravated the obesity. These are necessary to properly assess secondary service connection for OSA.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, obesity
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 12, 2024
- Citation
- A24031130
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 A24031130.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claims for sleep apnea and an increased disability rating for diabetes mellitus, type II.
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