The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as it was not shown to have begun during active service or be related to an in-service disease or injury, and there was no evidence that the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain and/or bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy caused his obesity which then led to the development of obstructive sleep apnea.
The deciding factor: The March 2024 VA examiner opined that the Veteran's current obstructive sleep apnea was less likely than not due to his service-connected lumbosacral strain, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and/or insomnia. The evidence did not show a direct relationship between the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and the onset of his obstructive sleep apnea.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2025
- Citation
- A25096349
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,421 · Granted: 31% (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 A25096349.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected left knee and left ankle conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected other specified insomnia disorder.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and heart disability, including coronary artery disease, as these conditions are found to be proximately due to or the result of the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Neck Disability, and Bilateral Upper Extremity Radiculopathy. The decision is based on the Veteran's active service and medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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