Sleep apnea decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began during his active duty service and have continued since then.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, psychiatric disorder, lumbar spine disability, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board is remanding the service connection claims for headaches, sleep apnea, left knee disability, and left foot plantar fasciitis due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board remands the service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, as the Veteran was not properly informed of any VA examinations or sleep studies.

The rating reduction for service-connected left lower extremity (LLE) radiculopathy from 20 percent to noncompensable was improper, and the appeal to restore the 20 percent rating is granted.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's lumbosacral strain and right lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as a compensable rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The appeal was dismissed because the Veteran did not timely file a Board Appeal request for the rating decision that denied service connection for sleep apnea.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea to correct a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error.

The Veteran withdrew the appeal for service connection for rosacea, GERD, chronic pain syndrome, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board remands the claims for further development to ensure compliance with its duty to assist, specifically regarding the adequacy of VA examinations and obtaining a retrospective medical opinion.

The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea and a rating of 40 percent for status post total right knee replacement (right TKR), while denying increased ratings for the other conditions.

The Board granted initial disability ratings of 30 percent for chronic sinusitis, 50 percent for migraine headaches, 40 percent for a lumbosacral strain, 20 percent for a cervical strain, and 10 percent for granuloma annulare from May 1, 2023 to January 23, 2024.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to duty to assist errors.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and denied service connection for asthma, while dismissing the appeal regarding the reduction in the disability rating from 40 percent to 20 percent for the Veteran's lumbosacral strain effective July 17, 2024.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD, lumbosacral strain, and left knee patellofemoral syndrome.

The Board denied service connection for anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic osteoarthritis, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as there was no evidence of a current disability during the period on appeal. The claims for sleep disorder, to include sleep apnea, and schizoaffective disorder were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for panic disorder/obsessive compulsive disorder, irritable bowel syndrome/functional abdominal pain syndrome/abdominal pain & bloating, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), sleep apnea, photophobia, tinnitus, and tremors of the hands.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and service connection, except for granting an effective date of September 16, 2022, for service connection for GERD and IBS.

The veteran withdrew her appeal for service connection for Raynaud's disease, Buerger disease as secondary to Raynaud's disease, amputation of index, middle, pinky finger as secondary to Buerger disease, and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board denied service connection for left and right shoulder strains, as well as a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis.