Sleep apnea decisions — 2024

The Board has decided that new evidence received after the August 2015 denial warrants readjudication of the claim for service connection of sleep apnea. The case is now remanded to determine if the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to in-service events.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service connected, and it is also found to be secondary to his service-connected coronary artery disease.,The Veteran's coronary artery disease, cardiovascular disease, and quadruple bypass surgery are granted as secondary to his service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's OSA is remanded for further development due to inadequate VA examination and opinion regarding its etiology, including consideration of service in Iraq and Kuwait.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient consideration of whether OSA began during service or is related to service, and whether it is worsened by PTSD. A new examination and opinion are needed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is granted with an effective date of December 30, 2019. The decision was based on the submission of a supplemental claim within one year of the intent to file.

The Veteran's cause of death is being remanded due to a duty to assist error regarding his service-connected heart condition and other disabilities. The Board will seek a medical opinion on whether these conditions contributed to the Veteran's respiratory failure.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient rationale in previous opinions regarding whether sleep apnea is secondary to service-connected PTSD and/or asthma. The Veteran must be provided with a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) examination to determine if his sleep apnea is related to TERA participation, as well as whether it was caused or worsened by his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and a left knee condition were previously denied in an August 2010 rating decision. The Board dismissed the appeal as no new rating decision was issued on or after February 19, 2019, to which the Veteran could have appealed.

The Veteran's service connection claims for degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a scar of the forehead have been granted. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for left knee and right ankle disabilities.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for chondrosarcoma, finding that his condition is etiologically related to his active-duty service and resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant during the appeal process.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's OSA may be related to his service-connected disabilities and is presumptively linked due to exposure to burn pits. The case is being remanded for a VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's OSA.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it is aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection of OSA as secondary to his service-connected GERD, finding that it is more likely than not that the OSA developed from the GERD.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's back, right ankle, and right knee disorders. The conditions are found to be related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate opinion regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected duodenitis and gastritis with GERD. A new medical opinion must be obtained that defines aggravation as 'any increase in disability' rather than 'beyond the natural progression'.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for deviated nasal septum and sleep apnea due to a withdrawal by the appellant's representative.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently-diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea is etiologically related to his active duty service and his service-connected major depressive disorder with unspecified anxiety disorder and panic attacks, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's initial compensable evaluation for service-connected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is granted at a rating of 50 percent, effective from July 26, 2018. The decision also acknowledges that the OSA was aggravated by his service-connected tinnitus.

The Board has denied service connection for sinus, eye, and sleep disorders. The right shoulder disorder claim is remanded due to a duty to assist error.