The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) secondary to the Veteran's service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities on a causation basis, with obesity as an intermediate step.
The deciding factor: The private physician provided a thorough rationale describing how the Veteran's service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities caused her obesity and concluded that the Veteran's OSA is at least as likely as not secondary to weight gain caused by these service connected physical issues.
- Claimed conditions
- obesity, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), lower back strain (lumbar strain), left knee degenerative arthritis, left hip bursitis, right knee ligament strain, bilateral lower extremity sciatic neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 3, 2026
- Citation
- A26018787
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 A26018787.
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 diabetes mellitus, type II, is granted on a secondary basis with obesity serving as an intermediate step due to service-connected low back disability, sciatica, and right shoulder disabilities.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right knee disability, left knee arthritis, and bilateral knee instability. The decision is based on the Veteran's competent and credible lay evidence regarding the onset of symptoms in service.
- Granted
The Veteran's OSA is granted as service connected. The Veteran's infectious disease claim and stomach disability claim are remanded for further examination.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis is dismissed. The claims for service connection for psychiatric disability, bilateral hearing loss, and other conditions are granted.
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