The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to his service-connected hypothyroidism, finding that there is no evidence of a causal link between the two conditions.
The deciding factor: The medical opinion provided by VA did not find a sufficient causal relationship between the Veteran’s service-connected hypothyroidism and his obesity, which was considered an intermediate step in causing or aggravating his obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Hypothyroidism
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 12, 2020
- Citation
- 20072994
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorders, lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, bilateral radiculopathy of the upper extremities, and bilateral radiculopathy and neuropathy of the lower extremities.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's symptoms more closely approximated those associated with a 50 percent rating.
- Partly granted
The appeal was denied for service connection of a cervical spine disorder, and several claims were remanded for further development.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.