The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no evidence of a respiratory injury or disease during service and no causal relationship between the condition and either active service or his service-connected psychiatric disability. The Board also found that OSA was not aggravated by his service-connected major depressive disorder with anxiety.
The deciding factor: The weight of the lay and medical evidence contemporaneous to service showed no sleep apnea symptoms, diagnosis, or treatment. Sleep apnea did not manifest until approximately 2007 (30 years after service separation). The November 2020 VA reviewer found that OSA was less likely than not caused by or aggravated by the service-connected psychiatric disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 14, 2021
- Citation
- 21022088
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 21022088.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected left knee and left ankle conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected other specified insomnia disorder.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and heart disability, including coronary artery disease, as these conditions are found to be proximately due to or the result of the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Neck Disability, and Bilateral Upper Extremity Radiculopathy. The decision is based on the Veteran's active service and medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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