Sleep apnea decisions — 2023

The Veteran's asthma has been granted service connection, with the decision finding that his current condition is related to symptoms he experienced during active duty.,Service connection for OSA as secondary to service-connected disabilities (including PTSD, allergic rhinitis, and foot conditions) has also been granted. The Board found that obesity caused by these service-connected conditions contributed to the Veteran's sleep apnea.

The Board has denied service connection for rhabdomyolysis and remanded the case to obtain additional opinions regarding obstructive sleep apnea. The decision on these issues is pending.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a link between the condition and his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea as aggravated by his service-connected PTSD with TBI and ear disabilities.

The Veteran's asthma and sleep apnea are granted service connection due to exposure to burn pits during active duty. Service connection for bilateral Achilles tendonitis is remanded.

The Board has determined that further development is needed for the Veteran's claims related to his right ankle, bilateral knee pain, plantar warts, migraine headaches, spinal stenosis, a bilateral elbow condition, ulcerative colitis, and sleep apnea. The VA will need to obtain any relevant private treatment records and schedule the Veteran for examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to his service in the Southwest Asia region during the Gulf War, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient compliance with previous directives and needs additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea, its relationship to service-connected conditions, and causation of obesity.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various wrist, knee, and neck disorders are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions. His claim for an initial compensable rating for tinea pedis is also being remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to potential aggravation by service-connected conditions, as well as to obtain SSA records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is being remanded due to the submission of new and relevant evidence, which warrants readjudication. The AOJ will need to determine if the Veteran's sleep apnea is proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected acquired psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied, and his claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's service connection for persistent depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder is granted. The claims for diabetes mellitus, type II, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are remanded.

The Veteran's TBI is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error where the VA examiner did not address whether his bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, sleep apnea, hypertension, unspecified neurocognitive disorder, cold intolerance and fatigue due to hyperthyroidism, Grave's disease, transient memory loss, nocturnal leg cramps, right upper extremity tingling and numbness, dizziness are related to his TBI. A retrospective opinion is needed.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for sleep apnea was dismissed because the form used to file the Notice of Disagreement (NOD) was not appropriate and did not follow the proper procedure.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, finding that it is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Board dismissed the claim for service connection for sleep apnea because the Veteran did not properly file an appeal on the form designated by VA.

The Veteran's cervical strain disability is rated at 10 percent, and the lumbosacral strain with sacroiliac injury is also rated at 10 percent. Both conditions are denied for an increased rating.,Both service-connected disabilities have been rated based on their current functional limitations without considering any presumptive exposure or secondary service connection.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation at the housebound rate prior to July 19, 2021 was denied as he did not have a single service-connected disability rated at 100% or a TDIU due solely to a single disability and additional service-connected disability ratable at 60%, separate and distinct from the 100% service-connected disability.

The Veteran's lumbosacral dysfunction, right lower extremity neurological disorder (including peripheral neuropathy and sciatic dysfunction), left lower extremity neurological disorder (including peripheral neuropathy and sciatic dysfunction), and right hip disability are all found to be related to service.