Sleep apnea decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of examination addressing specific questions related to burn pit exposure and service-connected PTSD. The Veteran's sleep apnea is being reviewed for possible causation or aggravation by these factors.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for residuals of a fracture of the left ankle and obstructive sleep apnea due to insufficient examination reports. The Veteran's claims are now before an appropriate clinician to determine if there is at least as likely as not that these conditions are related to his military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's preexisting OSA worsened during his last period of active service and if there is a nexus between the current diagnosis and toxic exposure risk activities during Southwest Asia service.

The Board has determined that it is approximately as likely as not that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is proximately due to his service-connected deviated nasal septum, residuals of an in-service nasal fracture. Therefore, the claim for secondary service connection for OSA is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but the issues of service connection for sleep apnea, acquired psychiatric disorder (to include anxiety and depression), osteoarthritis of the right ankle, osteoarthritis of the left ankle, and lumbar spine strain with degenerative disc disease are remanded. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected sinusitis, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for VA compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to left phrenic nerve paralysis and sleep apnea resulting from September 2014 cardiac surgery performed at a Veterans' Administration (VA) Medical Center, finding that there was no evidence of carelessness, negligence, or lack of proper skill on the part of VA.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and sleep apnea are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evidence review.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to be the cause of his current sleep apnea, and thus he is granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, and headaches are being remanded due to the need for further medical examination regarding potential in-service exposure to Camp Lejeune water contaminants.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is reopened and remanded due to the submission of new evidence that relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to posttraumatic stress disorder, and remanded the issue of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to April 20, 2022.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to new and pertinent VA treatment records and VA examinations being added to the claims file. The AOJ is instructed to review these additional documents in the first instance.

The Veteran withdrew all appealed issues, including service connection for PTSD, alcohol abuse, and sleep apnea. The appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for various conditions, including knee disabilities, are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, headaches, sleep apnea, hydrocele of the right testicle, and a right ankle disability due to insufficient evidence or lack of adequate examination.

The Board has denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for left shoulder strain with degenerative joint disease, neck disorder, and lower back disorder. The Veteran's claims were received on June 18, 2015, and January 28, 2016, respectively.,The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), erectile dysfunction, and cognitive impairment secondary to posttraumatic headaches and PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome are found to have caused her obesity, which in turn led to her obstructive sleep apnea. The Board has granted service connection for OSA on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, sciatic and femoral radiculopathy in both lower extremities, and TDIU/SMC claims are all remanded for further development.

The Veteran's OSA is granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD.,The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the spine with spinal stenosis is granted, related to an in-service back injury.