The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is caused by his service-connected right foot plantar fasciitis with interior and superior heel spurs and/or right and left varicose veins.,The Veteran's left heel tendinitis is not likely caused or aggravated by his service-connected right foot plantar fasciitis with interior and superior heel spurs.,The Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress is not likely caused or aggravated by his service-connected right and left lower extremity varicose veins.
The deciding factor: Obstructive sleep apnea was found to be caused by obesity, which in turn was caused by the Veteran's service-connected plantar fasciitis.,The relationship between the Veteran's left heel tendinitis and his service-connected right foot plantar fasciitis is not clear-cut; the examiner could not determine if it was caused or aggravated by the service-connected condition.,The unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress is considered a separate entity unrelated to the service-connected varicose veins.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, left heel tendinitis, unspecified depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 20, 2024
- Citation
- A24058627
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 A24058627.
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 obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no competent evidence to support a finding that his current condition began in or as a result of service.
- Denied
The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as there is no current diagnosis of this condition during the appeal period.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active service or any related exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a direct relationship to service or toxic exposure. The Veteran's claims were based on his participation in TERA activities during service.
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