The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected disabilities, including hypertension and unspecified trauma and stressor-related disorder. The decision grants service connection for this condition.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that obesity and body habitus changes caused by the Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities and lower extremity radiculopathy have aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, hypertensive heart disease, left shoulder degenerative joint disease, unspecified trauma and stressor-related disorder, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, residual of ACL repair of the right knee with degenerative joint disease, radiculopathy of the right and left upper extremities, arthritis of the lumbar spine, degenerative joint disease of the left knee, hypertension, rhabdomyolysis of the left and right lower extremities, bilateral pes planus, GERD, ganglion cyst of the right wrist, erectile dysfunction, right knee surgical scar
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- August 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19161495
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 19161495.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.