The Veteran's sleep apnea is caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD and its medications, warranting service connection on a secondary basis. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's DDD and DJD of the lumbar spine are at least as likely as not (50 percent or greater probability) proximately due to or the result of his service-connected PTSD and corresponding medications. The right knee arthritis is also considered secondary to his service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's sleep apnea is caused by his service-connected PTSD and its treatment, which can cause sleep problems and aggravate SA symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- Sleep Apnea, Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the Lumbar Spine, Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the Lumbar Spine, Right Knee Arthritis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 21, 2017
- Citation
- 1723036
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 1723036.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating prior to August 12, 2013 was denied as his right knee disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5003.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating from April 1, 2016 was denied as he is already receiving the maximum allowable disability rating of 60 percent for total right knee replacement.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service.
- Denied
The claims for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder, memory loss/memory problems, chronic fatigue, sleep difficulties/sleep disturbances, and sleep apnea have been denied. The claim for service connection for residuals of testicular denervation and varicosectomy has been granted.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's asthma is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's sleep apnea claim has been remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.
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