The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to his service-connected PTSD.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided by the Veteran's treating VA psychiatrist and a VA sleep apnea examiner are in equipoise, with the latter finding that the risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea (such as obesity and age) more likely than not explain the condition rather than the service-connected PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), coronary artery disease, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left arm shell fragment wound residuals
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 2, 2021
- Citation
- A21017716
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 A21017716.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
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