Sleep apnea decisions — 2021

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to insufficient development of his employment and educational history. Additional information from the Veteran and his employers will be needed to determine if he qualifies for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's sleep apnea disorder was not shown in service or for many years thereafter and is not otherwise related to active duty service. Service connection for sleep apnea is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep disorder, including obstructive sleep apnea, is not related to service and denied her claim. The issue of service connection for a chronic multi-symptom disability under 38 C.F.R. § 3.317 was remanded due to inadequate VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for sleep apnea and diabetes mellitus due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's spouse reported witnessing his snoring, gasping, and interrupted breathing shortly after separation from service in 1991. VA treatment records are needed to support a determination on these issues.

The Board has granted service connection for sinusitis, sleep apnea, and low back disability. The Veteran's left hip disability and right shoulder disability have been denied.,Service connection is granted for sinusitis as it is presumed to be related to active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to a service-connected deviated nasal septum, finding that the Veteran's sleep apnea was aggravated by his service-connected condition.

The Board has granted service connection for insomnia, finding that it is as likely as not that the Veteran had insomnia during his service and that it is more than likely attributable to his military service. Service connection was denied for cervical spine/neck disability and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis did not have its onset in or is otherwise related to his active service.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is remanded for a new examination to determine if she currently has the condition and its etiology, considering her service records and any medication use.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea. The examiner was asked to provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that any current sleep apnea is related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate examinations and opinions. The Veteran is presumed to have been on orders during her injuries, meeting the first prong of service connection. However, the second prong was not met as there are no diagnoses related to the claimed conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Service connection for Vertigo was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to a diagnosed psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's reported stressors were not valid under VA regulation, and his sleep difficulties began many years after discharge.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it did not develop during service or be related to an in-service injury. The evidence showed no specific diagnosis of OSA until almost 40 years after service and was linked to his weight gain rather than any in-service condition.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinions are inadequate and remands the case for further development, including obtaining addendum opinions from a VA examiner to address the etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), whether it was caused by his service-connected back disability, and whether his obesity was an intermediate step between his current OSA and any service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the cases of hypertension and sleep apnea for further development, including obtaining addendum opinions from VA examiners to address the etiology of these conditions and their relationship to service.

The Board has granted service connection for a back disability and right shoulder disability, but denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, hypertension, and sleep apnea. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder was reopened due to new evidence received since the last denial.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions. The issues include a disability related to an undiagnosed illness or MUCMI, sleep apnea secondary to PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and migraine condition secondary to sleep apnea.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain due to degenerative disc disease with bilateral radiculopathy required emergency treatment at a non-VA hospital on December 20, 2013. The Board found that the care was for an emergent condition and VA facilities were not feasibly available.