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Denied

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.

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