Sleep apnea decisions — 2025

The appeals for service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable evaluation for left ear hearing loss were dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals at a December 2024 Board hearing. The remaining claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there is no evidence linking the condition to his military service, specifically his exposure to burn pits.

The Board denied service connection for right foot and ankle disorders, granted service connection for chronic kidney disease stage 3 as secondary to hypertension, and denied a higher rating for hypertension. The effective date for the grant of service connection for hypertension was set to May 5, 2021.

The Board granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and right middle finger strain with degenerative arthritis. The claim for tuberculosis was denied.

The Board granted service connection for tinea pedis of the left foot and remanded claims for a bilateral foot disorder, cervical disorder, left shoulder disorder, lumbosacral disorder, right shoulder disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and eardrum disorder.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbosacral strain, resolving all reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for headaches, left ankle arthritic condition, left knee strain, lumbosacral strain, right ankle arthritic condition, right knee strain, sciatica, and obstructive sleep apnea due to a need for additional development of evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, except for a 20 percent rating for lumbosacral strain.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to untimeliness, and denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for various conditions associated with a stroke, including obstructive sleep apnea, depression, and diabetes mellitus type II.

The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded the claims for sinus disability, bilateral hip disability, right shoulder disability, hypertension, sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, skin disability, back disability, bilateral neurological disability of the upper extremities, and bilateral neurological disability of the lower extremities.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for multiple conditions due to a need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions considering all toxic exposure risk activities (TERAs) under the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxins Act of 2022.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder (MDD).

The appeal was dismissed due to untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement (NOD) for claims related to an increased rating and service connection, as well as lack of jurisdiction over a previously granted claim for sinusitis.

The Board dismissed the appeal for failure to timely file a Notice of Disagreement (NOD) with the July 2024 rating decision.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and remanded the claims for sleep apnea and chronic kidney disease due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities, but the claims for an increased evaluation in excess of 10 percent for hypertension and for service connection for sleep apnea are denied.