The Board has decided to remand the claim for service connection for upper airway resistance syndrome (claimed as sleep apnea) due to a lack of adequate VA examination and medical opinion. The Veteran's contentions regarding his PTSD causing poor eating and exercise habits, leading to obesity and ultimately causing or aggravating his claimed respiratory condition are not considered in the current VA opinions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous VA examinations did not consider the Veteran's contentions and the private medical opinion, which suggested a link between service-connected PTSD and the development of sleep apnea due to obesity.
- Claimed conditions
- upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS), sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 12, 2024
- Citation
- A24083387
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 A24083387.
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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