Sleep apnea decisions — 2024

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that her symptoms began during active military service and are related to her current diagnosis.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in obtaining an addendum opinion and potential toxic exposure records. The Veteran's sleep apnea is being considered secondary to his service-connected PTSD with alcohol use disorder, but further clarification on obesity as a factor is needed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, rhinitis, bilateral foot disability (plantar fasciitis), and gastrointestinal disorder (IBS) are denied due to lack of evidence supporting a current disability or relationship to service. The claims have been remanded for further development.,The Board has also determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, rhinitis, bilateral foot disability (plantar fasciitis), and gastrointestinal disorder (IBS) are denied due to lack of evidence supporting a current disability or relationship to service. The claims have been remanded for further development.

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

The Board has granted the Veteran's waiver of recovery of overpayment of VA disability compensation benefits in the amount of $5,578.26 due to financial hardship and unjust enrichment.

The Veteran's right foot arthritis, OSA, and right foot metatarsalgia have been granted service connection.,Effective August 23, 2018, the Veteran is receiving a 50% rating for OSA and a 10% rating for right foot metatarsalgia. The effective date for these awards is also August 23, 2018.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right leg pain and a right ankle condition, chronic pain in the left hip and leg, IBS, and seborrheic dermatitis. The claim for headaches was granted.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors and the need for a VA examination to determine if it is related to his service-connected PTSD or any other condition, including toxic exposure from active service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his already service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder.

An effective date of June 16, 2020, but no earlier, for the award of a 60 percent disability rating for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is granted.,An effective date of June 16, 2020, but no earlier, for the award of a 100 percent disability rating for asthma with obstructive sleep apnea and restrictive lung disease is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence regarding when the Veteran's symptoms began and whether they were related to his active military service. Further development is needed.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is caused by his service-connected right foot plantar fasciitis with interior and superior heel spurs and/or right and left varicose veins.,The Veteran's left heel tendinitis is not likely caused or aggravated by his service-connected right foot plantar fasciitis with interior and superior heel spurs.,The Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress is not likely caused or aggravated by his service-connected right and left lower extremity varicose veins.

The Veteran's current diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Board found that the evidence was in equipoise regarding whether the OSA is causally related to PTSD, and thus granted the claim.

The Board dismissed the appeal for an increased rating in excess of 50 percent for sleep apnea due to untimeliness. The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, asthma, sinusitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hypertension, headaches, bilateral plantar fasciitis, sciatica, right knee disability, left knee disability, and an acquired psychiatric disability were denied.

The Veteran's claims for beneficiary travel expenses were denied because they were not submitted within the required 30-day filing deadline, despite a previous suspension of the deadline due to the COVID-19 emergency.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's sleep apnea may be related to his service-connected PTSD or other disabilities, but a new opinion is needed to determine causation and aggravation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, finding that there is no probative evidence linking the two conditions.

The Veteran wishes to withdraw their appeal for service connection of sleep apnea. The Board has accepted this withdrawal and dismissed the case.

The Board has determined that the VA examination is insufficient for rating purposes and remands the case to obtain an addendum opinion regarding whether citalopram (related to PTSD) may contribute to weight gain and obesity, which could aggravate obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and hypogonadism (claimed as low testosterone and pituitary adenoma) are remanded due to inadequate VA examinations and failure to address the theories of direct service connection, secondary service connection, and undiagnosed illness or MUCMI.