Va Hypertension Secondary To Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea OSA is one of these.

Va hypertension secondary to sleep apnea. Veterans with hypertension and sleep apnea may be able to service-connect both conditions. In this case if a veteran is already service-connected for obstructive sleep apnea and later develops hypertension because of their obstructive sleep apnea they can file a claim for hypertension secondary to obstructive sleep apnea. Moreover hypertension can both cause sleep apnea and worsen it. That may be your situation.

But we often forget about other conditions that are also caused by diabetes which the VA very often forgets as well. Veterans in this post I list more than 50 possible sleep apnea secondary conditions so veterans can win service-connect and rate your sleep apnea VA claim in less time. In many patients blood pressure remains elevated during the daytime when breathing is normal. Secondary conditions are disabilities that arise or are exacerbated by a current service connected condition.

To receive compensation for this secondary condition you need a current diagnosis of hypertension. They may not have evidence of an in-service diagnosis or in-service symptoms that a doctor says were probably sleep apnea. Several cross-sectional studies have consistently found an association between increased body weight and the risk of developing Sleep Apnea. Among the risk factors for OSA Obesity is perhaps the most important and the most commonly accepted connection to Sleep Apnea disorders.

Hypertension Secondary to Sleep Apnea Having obstructive sleep apnea increases the risk of developing hypertension. This is particularly true if the condition goes untreated with a CPAP machine. Many veterans attempt to service-connect sleep apnea as a primary disability condition and cant seem to figure our why the VA keeps denying your sleep apnea claim. Sleep Apnea with Obesity as an Interim Link.

Whether secondary service connection for hypertension and sleep apnea was warranted based on a theory that the veterans obesity was aggravated by service-connected conditions we vacate and remand for further proceedings. When veterans are regularly woken up in their sleep their bodies get stressed. VA rates hypertension the same whether service connection is established directly presumptively or secondarily due to sleep apnea. The thinking in many circles is that treating sleep apnea is one of the best forms of treatment for hypertension given the strong evidence that sleep apnea can make hypertension worse.

Contributors to this diurnal pattern of hypertension include sympathetic nervous system overactivity and alterations in vascular function and structure caused by oxidant stress and inflammation. Specifically VA uses 38 CFR 4104 Schedule of Ratings Cardiovascular System Diagnostic Code 7101. Many common service connected conditions that can cause hypertension include diabetes sleep apnea and PTSD. 60 diastolic pressure predominantly 130 or more.

Sleep apnea causes your blood oxygen levels to drop increasing your blood pressure causing hypertension. Another possible way to obtain service connection for hypertension is secondary to another condition. On the other hand there is a substantial amount of literature suggesting that sleep apnea can aggravate if not cause hypertension. If you are able to service-connect your sleep apnea you may also receive hypertension VA disability benefits.

Sleep apnea can aggravate hypertension. Sometimes veterans cannot show that they had sleep apnea in service. You may know that you really did not have symptoms attributable to sleep. OSA episodes produce surges in systolic and diastolic pressure that keep mean blood pressure levels elevated at night.

The increase in hypertension comes from the drop in blood oxygen levels that occur due to sleep apnea. Sleep Apnea VA Disability on a Secondary Basis.