The Board has determined that the VA medical opinions are inadequate and remands the case for further clarification on whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have caused or aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea, including obesity.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions did not address the role of obesity as an intermediate step in determining if the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have caused or aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, posttraumatic stress disorder, lung cancer residuals, coronary artery disease, Parkinsonism with right upper extremity tremors, left upper extremity tremors, tinnitus, right lower extremity tremors, left lower extremity tremors, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, constipation, sexual dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 4, 2026
- Citation
- A26019257
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 A26019257.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
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