Sleep apnea decisions — 2024

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbosacral strain, finding that his current disability is related to an in-service injury and that there is no direct evidence of pre-existing condition or exposure-based presumptions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to errors in pre-decisional duty to assist and insufficient medical opinions. The Veteran is seeking service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, OSA, and hernia disability.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it is proximately due to weight gain caused by his service-connected depressive disorder, mild degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and left ankle trauma with chronic instability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error in the initial decision, and requests an addendum from the VA examiner.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it is secondary to his service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD has been dismissed because the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has determined that the AOJ's decision denying service connection for OSA, claimed as secondary to service-connected psychiatric disorder and DDD of the lumbar spine, is flawed due to a failure to consider whether obesity was an intermediate step in the development of OSA. The case is being remanded to obtain an addendum medical opinion.

The appellant withdrew his appeal for entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea, and the Board dismissed it.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, median nerve paralysis of the right and left hands, and carpal tunnel syndromes are remanded due to procedural errors.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and medical opinions obtained are insufficient to make a decision on the Veteran's claims. The case is therefore being remanded for further action.

The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) on the basis that it is as likely as not related to the Veteran's military service, specifically his deployment in Saudi Arabia where he experienced sleep problems and snoring during service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain and internal derangement of the left knee with osteoarthritis, status-post total knee replacement. The evidence supports that these conditions are related to active service.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection of residuals of TBI, a nose condition, sleep apnea, and a back condition as they were previously denied in March 2018.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and migraine headaches due to inadequate medical opinions. The claims will be reviewed again with additional evidence.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for higher ratings of chronic meningitis with migraine headaches and sleep apnea as the appellant withdrew his appeal.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent prior to August 2, 2020, and at 70 percent thereafter. The appeal is remanded for further examination and rating considerations.,The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc disease and lower extremity radiculopathy were not rated as requested in the decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The claims for service connection for sleep apnea and PTSD are denied, as the evidence does not support a link to service-connected conditions or stressors. The claim for service connection for sinusitis is remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a pre-decisional error in addressing the Veteran's direct service connection theory and the aggravation of his OSA by PTSD. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for sleep apnea, which is secondary to service-connected bilateral knee disabilities. The decision requires a medical examination and opinion regarding whether obesity (caused or aggravated by service-connected disabilities) was a substantial factor in causing the Veteran's current obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea secondary to PTSD has been granted.,The request for an earlier effective date for tinnitus was denied.