The Board found that the Veteran's current sleep apnea was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and specifically denied service connection on a direct basis as there is no evidence of any chronic disability during service. The Board also determined that the Veteran's service-connected asthma and allergic rhinitis did not cause or aggravate his sleep apnea.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's long history of snoring, which he reported began years before service, was more likely a symptom of sleep apnea rather than an indication of its onset during service. The examiner also noted that there is no evidence in the service treatment records of typical symptoms associated with sleep apnea or any treatment for it.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 6, 2010
- Citation
- 1016865
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 1016865.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a direct service connection opinion and an adequate secondary service connection aggravation opinion.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including sinusitis, elbows condition, cervical condition, erectile dysfunction, kidney condition, sleep apnea, wrists condition, asthma, shoulders condition, ankles condition, eye condition (bilateral dry macular degeneration), peripheral vascular disease (heart condition), and rhinitis.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for sleep apnea is dismissed as the benefit sought has been granted, making the case moot.
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