The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD, finding that weight gain/obesity was an intermediate step between the two conditions.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least in approximate balance as to whether the Veteran's current sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected PTSD with weight gain/obesity as an intermediate step. Affording any benefit of the doubt to the Veteran, entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD is granted.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea (sleep apnea)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- November 3, 2025
- Citation
- A25095196
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,858 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25095196.
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 Veteran's service-connected disabilities precluded him from securing and maintaining all forms of substantially gainful employment effective February 2, 2023.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the evidence was at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's current sleep apnea had its onset in service. The claim for a skin disorder of the face to include razor bumps was remanded for further development.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal regarding service connection for a right knee condition due to its grant in full. Service connection is granted for diabetes, sleep apnea, and hypertension. The issue of service connection for gout is remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's PTSD warrants a 70 percent rating, but no higher, prior to September 24, 2019. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, and skin rash on elbows due to secondary effects.
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