Sleep apnea decisions — 2022

The Board has granted the petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, but denied the claim itself. The Veteran's sleep apnea is not considered to be related to his military service or his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that additional evidence needs to be obtained before a final decision can be made on the Veteran's claims. The Veteran is being asked to provide information about any relevant non-VA medical records and for VA to obtain them.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim and granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the evidence is in approximate balance regarding whether the condition began during active duty.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD has been withdrawn. The Board has also remanded cases involving increased ratings for the knees and an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, as well as service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's back condition is rated at 100% from January 22, 2020. The claim of entitlement to TDIU prior to October 18, 2019 and from January 22, 2020 is dismissed as moot.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder condition, menstrual disorder, and sleep apnea is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.,Specifically, new VA examinations are required to determine whether these conditions are related to active service or secondary to other service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for small fiber neuropathy, back condition, and neck condition, finding that the evidence supports a causal relationship to active military service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that his current condition is related to his active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee strain and lumbosacral spine strain with intervertebral disc syndrome, finding that these conditions originated during active service.

The Board has remanded the cases due to additional VA treatment records being added to the record since July 2020. The RO is instructed to issue a new SSOC that addresses this new evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a vestibular condition, obstructive sleep apnea, and headache condition. The evidence did not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.,There was no direct evidence linking the claimed conditions to service. The VA examiners found no objective medical evidence or literature supporting an association between the Veteran's documented medical history in service and his later development of BPPV, hearing loss, tinnitus, and/or chronic headaches.

The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and remanded the issue of service connection for a sleep disorder, to include sleep apnea. The Veteran's current diagnoses are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is granted as the evidence shows that he had breathing issues and sleep difficulty during his military service, which persisted after discharge.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is reopened, and the case is remanded to obtain an addendum opinion regarding whether his sleep apnea is related to in-service exposure to environmental hazards (burn pits) or caused by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions and the need for further development, including a new VA examination.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's service connection claim for OSA secondary to PTSD should be remanded due to an inadequate opinion regarding aggravation.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's sleep apnea had its onset during service or is otherwise related to service.

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

The Board has decided to remand the cases of sinusitis, rhinitis, and sleep apnea due to a lack of VA examinations. The Veteran's claims will be reviewed again with new medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea and hypertension, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the claims. The Veteran's hypertension was not shown to have its onset during active service or within one year of separation, and there is insufficient medical evidence linking his current condition to military service.