Sleep apnea decisions — 2022

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is likely to have originated during his military service, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle disability has been reopened, and he is now entitled to have his case reviewed on the merits.,Service connection for tinnitus has been granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain, finding that it is not related to his active duty service or secondary to his service-connected chondromalacia of both knees.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities due to incorrect addresses being used in previous correspondence.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea, including whether it is related to his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a sleep disorder, including sleep apnea, is being remanded due to the lack of substantial compliance with previous instructions. The AOJ needs to schedule another examination to determine if the Veteran has a diagnosed sleep disorder and whether it is related to his service or another condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for sleep apnea. The Veteran contends that his sleep apnea is related to military environmental exposures, but there is no evidence of such exposure in the record.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and multiple physical conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to September 20, 2021.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea was reopened due to new evidence linking her condition to her military service. The Board found that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of sleep apnea, experienced symptoms during service, and there is credible lay and medical evidence connecting these events. As such, service connection for sleep apnea is granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right and left knee disabilities, but has remanded the issue of service connection for a lumbosacral spine disability.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep disorder/sleep apnea and vision loss has been reopened, but the claims are still pending as they have not yet been decided. The Board has ordered additional development to obtain medical records and a VA examination for each issue.

The Board has dismissed the claim of service connection for a neck disorder due to the Veteran's withdrawal. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the relationship between OSA and service-connected psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is denied, but he is granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that there are outstanding service treatment records and a more current examination is needed for both sleep apnea and TBI. The Veteran's OSA may be related to his obesity, but the relationship with PTSD needs further clarification. For TBI, a new examination is required as the most recent one is from almost 6 years ago.

The Board has granted service connection for arthritis lumbosacral spine and neck arthritis. Service connection for sciatica is remanded.

The Veteran's asthma is granted as service-connected due to exposure in the Southwest Asia theater of operations. The claims for PTSD, anxiety disorder, depression, insomnia, chronic headaches, and sleep apnea are remanded.

The Board has determined that further development is required in connection with the Veteran's sleep apnea disability claim due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset and relationship to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and its relationship to service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinions are not adequate to adjudicate the claim of entitlement to an increased initial rating for residuals of a traumatic brain injury. The Veteran's symptoms overlap with his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder, and it is unclear whether they can be clearly separated from each other.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and lumbosacral strain were granted with an effective date of August 1, 2014.