The Veteran's asthma is granted as service connected due to exposure to fine particulate matter during active duty in the Southwest Asia theater of operations.,Obstructive sleep apnea secondary to PTSD is granted as service connected.,Diabetes mellitus type 2 (diabetes) secondary to PTSD is granted as service connected.,End stage renal disease status-post kidney transplant (claimed as kidney failure) secondary to diabetes is granted as service connected.,Service connection for blindness, to include light perception only, is remanded due to outstanding VA treatment records and the need for a medical opinion regarding potential TERA exposure.,Left knee disability is remanded due to lack of opinions on direct or presumptive service connection.,Right knee disability is remanded due to lack of opinions on direct or presumptive service connection.,Left shoulder disability is remanded due to lack of opinions on direct or presumptive service connection.,Right shoulder disability is remand due to lack of opinions on direct or presumptive service connection.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's asthma developed after his separation from active duty and was presumed exposure-related based on his service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations. The Board found that the criteria for service connection were met.,Obstructive sleep apnea is secondary to PTSD, which is a service-connected condition. The VA examiner confirmed this relationship.,Diabetes is secondary to PTSD. The VA examiner provided an opinion supporting this conclusion based on medical literature linking PTSD and diabetes.,End stage renal disease status-post kidney transplant (claimed as kidney failure) is secondary to diabetes. The VA examination supported this finding.,Service connection for blindness, to include light perception only, requires additional VA examinations and opinions regarding potential TERA exposure.,Left knee disability may be due to an undiagnosed illness or degenerative arthritis. Additional medical opinions are needed.,Right knee disability may also be due to an undiagnosed illness or degenerative arthritis. Additional medical opinions are needed.,Left shoulder and right shoulder disabilities may be due to an undiagnosed illness or degenerative arthritis. Additional medical opinions are needed.,The Veteran's service connection claims for left knee, right knee, left shoulder, and right shoulder conditions require additional medical opinions regarding potential TERA exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- asthma, obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus type 2 (diabetes), end stage renal disease status-post kidney transplant (claimed as kidney failure), blindness, to include light perception only, left knee disability, right knee disability, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 12, 2026
- Citation
- 26002046
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 26002046.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right shoulder disability and migraines/chronic headaches are remanded for additional development due to insufficient opinions on the etiology of her conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- 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.
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