The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea and an acquired psychiatric disability, to include anxiety and depression. The claims for earlier effective dates were dismissed as they are not valid freestanding claims.
The deciding factor: The evidence of record does not support a current diagnosis of sleep apnea or a psychiatric disability, and there is no indication that the Veteran's symptoms may be associated with service or another service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), Right knee meniscal and ACL tear, Sleep apnea, Acquired psychiatric disability, to include anxiety and depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 25, 2025
- Citation
- A25027749
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for chronic headaches, CFS, dermatosis, bilateral RLS, a lumbar spine disability, and sleep apnea but denied a compensable evaluation for allergic rhinitis.
- Denied
The appeal for higher ratings and effective dates for various conditions was denied, with the exception of left and right lower extremity radiculopathy which were granted an earlier effective date.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a low back disability, residuals of a right foot injury, sinusitis, shortness of breath, allergic rhinitis, and sleep apnea as there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 29, 2019 for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder but denied earlier effective dates and increased ratings for other conditions.
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