The Board granted service connection for a sleep disorder, to include SDB and OSA as secondary to major depressive disorder (MDD), and a cardiovascular disability as secondary to MDD. Additionally, the Veteran was granted a rating of 70 percent for his MDD from November 2, 2022.
The deciding factor: The Board found that Dr. J.F.'s opinion supported a finding that the Veteran's SDB and OSA were secondarily related to his MDD, while the VA examiners' opinions were based on obesity as a factor which was not present in this case.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiovascular disability, sleep disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- June 10, 2025
- Citation
- A25050840
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,329 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25050840.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD was granted with an initial evaluation of 50 percent, effective September 24, 2007. The appeal regarding the heart condition and sleep disorder is denied. The Veteran's hearing loss prior to August 24, 2015, warrants a 20 percent rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the AOJ did not obtain all necessary opinions regarding whether the Veteran's symptoms are related to an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (MUCMI). The claims for service connection for fatigue, fibromyalgia, left elbow disorder, right elbow disorder, and sleep disorder are remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes, headaches, and a cardiovascular disability due to VA treatment on August 9, 2019. The Veteran contends that he was prescribed Jardiance (Empagliflozin) instead of Metformin, leading to complications such as DKA, renal failure, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, sleep apnea, dizziness, and headaches.
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