Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
The deciding factor: The August 2023 private opinion was found highly probative, linking the Veteran's back disability to inactivity and sleep disturbance, which led to weight gain and subsequently obstructive sleep apnea through well-described physiologic mechanisms.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- October 16, 2025
- Citation
- A25089171
Want to see how appeals like this one tend to go? Appeals like mine
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.