Sleep apnea decisions — 2024

The Veteran's service connection claim for sleep apnea is granted as the condition became manifest during his active duty service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether sleep apnea is secondary to service-connected PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to insufficient development of evidence, including a VA examination and medical nexus opinion. The Veteran was diagnosed with both conditions during service or shortly thereafter, but her current diagnoses are not definitively established in the record.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current lumbosacral strain disability is related to an in-service injury, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The claims for anxiety disorder, left knee strain, right knee strain, and lumbosacral strain are remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected PTSD and musculoskeletal disabilities, finding that obesity resulting from these conditions caused the sleep apnea.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea should be remanded due to inadequate medical opinions and a potential duty to assist error.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for respiratory condition was denied in a final December 2013 rating decision. The Board has reopened the claim, but new and relevant evidence has not been submitted to support it.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea was granted in a final February 2014 rating decision. New and relevant evidence received since then supports reopening of this claim.

The Board denied the request to revise a previous rating decision that did not address an earlier effective date for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The issue was pending and had been adjudicated in a prior decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him in need of regular aid and attendance or housebound, as his conditions allow for some mobility and he is able to perform many daily activities with assistance.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), finding that it began during active service and is related to his hypertension.

The Board has found that service connection for tension headaches is granted. The claim of service connection for a back disability is remanded due to the need for a medical opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) as secondary to a deviated septum. The low back condition claim is remanded.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinion is inadequate and requires further examination to determine if the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has denied service connection for left knee, left hip, and bilateral ankle disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or a service-connected disability. The claim for sleep apnea is remanded as the Veteran's lay statements suggest a possible in-service onset.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and requires an addendum VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's OSA is caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, including major depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded due to the need for new VA examinations to assess whether these conditions were caused by in-service exposure to environmental hazards.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment prior to March 15, 2024. The Board denied the claim for TDIU as his education and work history indicated he had the physical and mental ability to obtain and maintain such employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error, requiring an additional VA examination to determine the etiology of sleep apnea and whether it is related to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to his service, and specifically if it was aggravated by his service-connected depressive disorder.