Citation Nr: 21007733 Decision Date: 02/10/21 Archive Date: 02/10/21 DOCKET NO. 15-05 382 DATE: February 10, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for a sleep disorder to include sleep apnea, secondary to service-connected disabilities, is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from May 2001 to November 2005. The matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) from a June 2011 rating decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). The matter was previously remanded by the Board for additional development in a January 2019 decision and has now returned for further appellate review. 1. Entitlement to service connection for a sleep disorder to include sleep apnea, secondary to service-connected disabilities, is remanded. Veteran contends that his claimed sleep disorder is etiologically related to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or his service-connected left knee disability due to weight gain. Pursuant to the January 2019 Board remand, the Veteran received a VA examination in December 2019 regarding the nature and etiology of his claimed sleep disorder. The examiner confirmed that the Veteran is diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, but opined that the condition is less likely than not incurred in or caused by the claimed in-service injury, event, or illness, and less likely than not proximately due to or the result of the Veteran’s service-connected PTSD or left knee disability. However, in discussing the rationale behind the aforementioned conclusions, the examiner failed to discuss the Veteran’s contention that his service-connected disabilities caused weight-gain resulting in the claimed sleep disorder. From the foregoing analysis, the Board finds that remand is warranted to obtain a new VA examination. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: Schedule the Veteran for a VA examination with an examiner of sufficient expertise to determine whether the Veteran’s claimed sleep disorder, to include obstructive sleep apnea, is related to weight-gain due to service and/or a service-connected disability. All pertinent evidence of record must be made available to and reviewed by the examiner(s) providing the opinion. The examiner should clarify whether weight-gain has caused or aggravated the claimed sleep disorder. If either answer is yes, the examiner should state whether it is at least as likely as not (50 percent probability or more) that the weight-gain was caused or aggravated, at least in part, by any of the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities. The examiner is asked to support opinions with citations from the medical record, as possible. The examiner must provide a rationale for all opinions expressed, with consideration of the various medical opinions of record and the recent treatment records. If the examiner is unable to provide any required opinion, he or she should explain why. If the examiner cannot provide an opinion without resorting to mere speculation, a complete explanation as to why this is so should be provided. If the inability to provide a more definitive opinion is the result of a need for additional information, the additional information that is needed should be identified. T. REYNOLDS Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board D. Gorum, Associate Counsel The Board’s decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.