Sleep apnea decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for traumatic brain injury, migraine headaches, and obstructive sleep apnea secondary to PTSD. The Veteran's hypertension is rated at 10%.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, and the Board has dismissed the case.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as there was no in-service respiratory injury or disease, and the current diagnosis is not related to service.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, including as secondary to the service-connected asthma, finding no in-service respiratory injury or disease and no relevant OSA symptoms during service. The current diagnosis of OSA is not etiologically related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for left wrist ganglion cyst and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the conditions are related to service.

The appeal for hearing loss is dismissed.,Service connection granted for sleep apnea, right ankle condition, and left ankle condition. The tonsil condition issue remains pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for COPD, bronchitis, sinusitis, and OSA due to inadequate examination opinions regarding herbicide exposure. The examiner must provide an opinion on whether each condition is related to service, including in-service herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's service connection claims for obstructive sleep apnea and atrial fibrillation as secondary to his service-connected obstructive sleep apnea have been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's disability rating for lumbosacral scar, status post prostatectomy scar, and status post angioplasty scar was properly reduced from 20% to a noncompensable rating effective November 1, 2018. The evidence did not show actual sustained improvement in the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions of life.

Service connection for asthma is granted on a presumptive basis due to exposure to fine particulate matter in the Southwest Asia theater of operations.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is granted on a secondary basis as it is related to service-connected hypothyroidism and obesity.,Service connection for tachycardia is remanded.,Service connection for pernicious anemia is remanded.,Service connection for low B-12 levels is remanded.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including left ear hearing loss, right fifth (little) finger disability, poor vision, low back and right knee disabilities, sleep apnea, allergies, heart rhythm, and hypertension. The Veteran is required to undergo further examinations for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder with anxiety and depressed mood, right knee strain, and right knee recurrent subluxation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The Board has also remanded the case for a VA examination to determine if the sleep apnea is related to active military service or secondary to his service-connected bipolar disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and medical opinions regarding his stomach condition, sleep disorder, cervical spine disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, left lower extremity shin splints disability, and right lower extremity shin splints disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's sleep apnea and service connection claims. The Veteran is requested to provide a VA medical opinion on the etiology of his diagnosed sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea. The opinions are needed to address the Veteran's contentions that his OSA is related to his service-connected healed fracture of the mandible, caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes and hypertension, or caused or aggravated by weight gain attributable to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a hernia and an increased rating for his back disability due to incomplete examinations and conflicting medical opinions. The Veteran is also seeking clarification on the propriety of the separate rating associated with his LLE radiculopathy.

The combined effects of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment during the appeal period prior to August 7, 2013.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected depressive disorder with anxious distress, alcohol use disorder and tobacco use disorder, with obesity as an intermediate step.