Sleep apnea decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected asthma, finding that there is an approximate balance of evidence in favor of the claim.

The Board found that the withholding of VA compensation benefits for 14 training days in FY 2015 was proper because the Veteran received concurrent pay and thus, the withholding did not violate her rights.

The Veteran's sleep apnea was granted service connection, but his back disability was denied. The Board found the evidence persuasive in favor of granting service connection for sleep apnea and denied service connection for a back disability. Other issues were remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence in several areas, including his eye and vision disability, PTSD, acquired psychiatric disorders other than PTSD, obstructive sleep apnea, headache disability, and hypertension.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an error in not considering obesity as a potential intermediate factor between PTSD and sleep apnea. The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is claimed to have caused or aggravated his obesity, which then led to his sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of attempts to schedule a VA examination for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, which is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure. The Veteran was exposed to herbicides while serving in Guam.

The Veteran's lumbar spine condition was previously rated at 10 percent, but is now rated at 40 percent effective May 10, 2023.,Both knees are currently evaluated as 10 percent.

The Board denied service connection for sleep disturbance, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), finding that the Veteran's current OSA is not related to his Gulf War service or any other service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the application to reopen the claim for a back disability has been dismissed. The applications to reopen the claims for sleep apnea and PTSD have been granted. The application to reopen the claim for an acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD) is also granted. The rating for residuals of fracture of the 4th finger of the right hand remains unchanged.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, PTSD, and sleep apnea have been denied. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active duty.,There is no credible evidence linking the current disabilities to in-service noise exposure or other events.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of sleep apnea is not related to his military service or proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.,The Board also denied service connection for hypertension, concluding that there was no evidence linking the condition to the Veteran's military service or to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it is at least as likely as not proximately due to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the service connection and rating issues for sleep apnea and hypothyroidism, as the previous VA medical opinions were inadequate.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for gastric cancer and sleep apnea have been denied as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service.

Service connection for prostate cancer is granted without application of the PACT Act. A rating of 20 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve) is granted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and heart disability are service-connected, but a higher rating is denied. The TDIU claim is granted.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is remanded as the VA examination report did not address its relationship to active service.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, sleep apnea, and low back condition have been reopened due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The Board finds that his current obstructive sleep apnea is related to service, while his acquired psychiatric disorder and low back condition are not related to service.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, gastrointestinal condition, and sleep apnea were either denied or remanded. The denial of PTSD was final due to lack of new and material evidence. Sleep apnea is being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, gastrointestinal condition, and sleep apnea were either denied or remanded. The denial of PTSD was final due to lack of new and material evidence. Sleep apnea is being remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, finding that there was no medical rationale correlating the development of sleep apnea with his diabetes.