The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea on a secondary basis, finding that the Veteran's OSA is caused by his adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood (adjustment disorder) and degenerative disc disease L5-S1, with obesity as an intermediate step.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence supports that the Veteran's OSA is attributable to the Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder and degenerative disc disease L5-S1, considering both positive and negative nexus opinions of record in relative equipoise.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- April 29, 2025
- Citation
- A25039028
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, left knee disability, and right knee disability. The claims for urinary frequency disability and residuals of a cholecystectomy were denied.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial increased rating for diabetes mellitus type II and remanded the claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, right shoulder strain with acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis and tendinitis, cervical spine spondylosis, left knee degenerative arthritis, right knee degenerative arthritis, and thoracolumbar scoliosis and lumbar spine degenerative changes.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea as it requires further development and evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), to include as secondary to GERD, for further development and a new VA medical opinion.
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