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Denied

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no causal relationship between his current condition and his military service or any service-connected disabilities. The Board also found that obesity, which was not caused by his service-connected conditions, does not constitute an intermediate step to support a secondary service connection.

The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish a direct link between the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and his military service or any service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, heart disability, spine disability with associated neurological impairment, and type II diabetes. The Board also found that obesity was not caused by these conditions but rather an independent factor.

Claimed conditions
obstructive sleep apnea
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
December 13, 2022
Citation
22068391

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 22068391.

What this means for you

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