The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, secondary to a service-connected disability, on an aggravation basis with obesity as an intermediate step.
The deciding factor: The evidence was at least evenly balanced regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected chronic adjustment disorder contributed to his obesity and that the obesity aggravated the sleep apnea. The reasonable doubt created by this relative equipoise in the evidence must be resolved in favor of the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- March 26, 2025
- Citation
- A25028131
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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