Sleep apnea decisions — 2024

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to his military service and grants this claim.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for a psychiatric disorder (PTSD) and sleep dysfunction condition (OSA) are dismissed as moot due to the grant of these conditions in prior rating decisions.,Service connection for a heart disability is denied, with the Board finding that the Veteran's angina was not a separate disability from his service-connected GERD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD with TBI and mild neurocognitive disorder, migraine headaches, sleep apnea, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. As such, the appeal for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for hearing loss in the left ear and denied it in the right ear. Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is also granted.

The Board has determined that the March 2020 VA examination is inadequate for determining whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is related to his service-connected cervical strain. The case is being remanded for a new examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding secondary service connection for sleep apnea and whether obesity caused by service-connected disabilities is a substantial factor in the development of sleep apnea.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral pes planus and obstructive sleep apnea due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors. The case is being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as being proximately due to his service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were granted effective September 24, 2020. The effective dates for the lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome, neurogenic bladder, right lower extremity radiculopathy of the femoral nerve, right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, left lower extremity radiculopathy of the femoral nerve, and left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve were also granted on this date.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a relationship between the condition and active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's sleep apnea and his service, as well as the need to obtain SSA records.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's sleep apnea, specifically on whether it is related to service or secondary to service-connected tinnitus. The examiner must provide a new opinion addressing these issues.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding its relationship to service-connected disabilities, including obesity. The examiner must also determine if obesity was a substantial factor in causing the Veteran's sleep apnea.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected chronic sinusitis.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received for the previously denied claims of diabetes mellitus type II, lung condition (also claimed as breathing problems), obstructive sleep apnea, and skin condition (claimed as psoriasis). The claims are being remanded to allow for a VA examination and further analysis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for flat feet foot pain (pes planus) has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is being remanded for further review.

The Board has granted service connection for insomnia as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected sinusitis and deviated septum, but denied service connection for sleep apnea.

The Veteran's cause of death, high grade retroperitoneal liposarcoma with contributing conditions of diabetes mellitus and hypertension, is found to be service-connected. The Board vacated the previous decision denying this claim due to an administrative error.

The appeal as to the issues of entitlement to compensable ratings for erectile dysfunction, hypertension, pheochromocytoma, laparotomy incision scars, and left adrenalectomy scars; and entitlement to service connection for shortness of breath, 'tired all the time,' and 'can't sleep' is dismissed. The appeal as to the issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, secondary to hypertension, is remanded.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the lack of recent evaluations for his heart condition, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. The RO should order new examinations to assess these conditions.