The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is aggravated by his service-connected major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's psychiatric disorders caused weight gain, which in turn caused or aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. The Board requires a new medical opinion to address this issue.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 11, 2024
- Citation
- A24037590
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 A24037590.
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 service connection for multiple conditions, including right and left shoulder pain, nephrolithiasis, bilateral hearing loss, obstructive sleep apnea, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, and upper extremity radiculopathy. The claims were not granted.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome associated with PTSD, finding that no claim was filed prior to March 14, 2022.
- Granted
The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is proximately due to his service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Board has granted the claim for service connection.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for migraines and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his active duty service. The decision is based on evidence showing a link between the conditions and his service-connected anxiety disorder.
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