The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, type II (DMII), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hypertension, and erectile dysfunction, all of which are found to be secondary to the Veteran's service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the Veteran's obesity, caused by his service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities, is a substantial factor in causing sleep apnea, DMII, GERD, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction. Resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran, the Board finds that these conditions are secondary to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, type II (DMII), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hypertension, erectile dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 11, 2025
- Citation
- A25022350
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and pernicious anemia, and the Board dismissed both appeals.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
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