Sleep apnea decisions — 2024

The Board has determined that the Veteran's OSA may be related to his service-connected bilateral knee degenerative arthritis with meniscal tear and instability, but additional evidence is needed to determine this relationship.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral sprain and degenerative disc disease (back disability) as well as cervical strain (neck disability), finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's active-duty service, including his military flight time.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and bilateral knee disabilities are found to be at least as likely as not a factor in causing his Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), warranting secondary service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was granted with an effective date of January 30, 2007. This decision is based on the submission of a relevant official service department record (a Post-Deployment Health Reassessment) that existed and had not been associated with the claims file when VA first decided the claim.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his service-connected lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, as well as radiculopathy in multiple extremities, are being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. The right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome claim is also being remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that it is at least as likely as not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, lumbar spine disability, and right knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for migraines as secondary to major depressive disorder and lumbosacral strain as secondary to status post left knee torn ACL and MCL tears with surgical reconstruction with residual patellofemoral syndrome.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected partial resection of the 6th rib/damage to muscle group XXI (muscles of respiration) has contributed to his developing obstructive sleep apnea, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is caused by his obesity, which is linked to his service-connected lumbar spine disability. The Board has granted service connection for the condition.

Service connection for bilateral tinnitus is granted.,Service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to service-connected sinusitis is granted.,The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss remains pending and will be remanded.

An effective date of December 8, 2009 is granted for the grant of service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine.,An effective date of December 5, 2017 is granted for the grant of service connection for sciatica of right lower extremity.,No earlier effective date is granted for the grant of service connection for sciatica of left lower extremity.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea began during his active service in the Air Force Reserves and is therefore granted service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is granted. The claims for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and tinnitus are denied. The Veteran's hearing loss rating remains at 30 percent.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to consider whether obesity is an intermediate step in the development of obstructive sleep apnea, and to obtain a VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and toxic exposure risk activities.

The Board has granted service connection for OSA as secondary to PTSD, finding that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD aggravates his OSA.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected allergic rhinitis is granted. The Board found that the private provider's opinion, supported by medical literature, was more persuasive than the VA examiner's conclusion.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), to include as secondary to service-connected asthma, due to insufficient evidence and pre-decisional errors in VA's duty to assist. The Veteran may have participated in a Toxic Exposure Risk Activity (TERA) during service.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) secondary to the Veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis and post-traumatic stress disorder, finding that there is at least a 50% likelihood of causation.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an earlier effective date for obstructive sleep apnea, and the case is dismissed as a result.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and obesity as an intermediate step. The decision found that there was no direct causation between PTSD and OSA, and that obesity did not contribute to or aggravate OSA.