The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea disorder as secondary to his service-connected rhinitis with sinusitis, finding that the weight gain after separation from service rather than the service-connected condition caused or aggravated the current sleep apnea.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the Veteran’s substantial weight gain of 30 lbs. was what caused or aggravated the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea disorder, not his service-connected rhinitis with sinusitis.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea disorder, rhinitis with sinusitis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 6, 2018
- Citation
- 18147673
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 18147673.
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 sleep apnea disorder to obtain an adequate medical opinion.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a skin rash disorder, sleep apnea disorder, arthritic disorder, lung cancer, hypertension, male reproductive system disorder, and right hemidiaphragm disorder due to exposure to contaminants in the water supply at Camp Lejeune.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypertension and sleep apnea disorder, as well as a claim for special monthly compensation due to aid and attendance, for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining potentially relevant Social Security Administration records.
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