The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including depressive disorder, left sciatica radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative arthritis.
The deciding factor: The August 2022 private medical opinion attributed the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea to his service-connected disabilities through an intermediate step of obesity, which was found to be caused by the service-connected conditions. This opinion was deemed probative and sufficient for granting service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- March 20, 2025
- Citation
- A25026095
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to a duty to assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including GERD, chronic kidney disease, COPD, a heart condition, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnea, as additional development is necessary to address the Veteran's exposure to toxic chemical agents during his service.
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