Sleep apnea decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including left knee degenerative joint disease, right knee degenerative joint disease, thoracolumbar spine degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease, major depressive disorder with alcohol use disorder, avascular necrosis of the left hip, and sleep apnea, all as secondary to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing and following substantial gainful employment, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability from December 31, 2021.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the condition and his active military service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection and entitlement to individual unemployability due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding missing private medical records.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as additional development is needed.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an initial compensable disability rating for migraines, service connection for urinary frequency, and service connection for sleep apnea.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability, finding a causal relationship between the two.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that new and relevant evidence had been submitted to warrant a readjudication of the claim.

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disability other than PTSD and hypertension, and remanded several claims for further development.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, status post tumor resection for bladder cancer, heart disability, and an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The claims were also remanded for further development.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, while remanding the claims for skin cancer, hypertension, sleep apnea, and bilateral hip conditions.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability and remanded claims for cervical strain, left hip osteoarthritis, right hip osteoarthritis, right knee strain, and obstructive sleep apnea due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board remands the claim for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities and medications.

The appeal for an increased rating for lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome was dismissed as it was not timely filed.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection for a back disability, finding that the claim was not received within one year of the prior denial in October 2016.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypothyroidism, hypertension, GERD, psoriasis, sleep apnea, and erectile dysfunction due to a need to verify exposure and obtain additional medical evidence.

The appeal for service connection for sleep apnea was withdrawn by the Veteran and is therefore dismissed.

The Board denied an increased rating for PTSD and a TDIU, and remanded several service connection claims.

The Board granted a 50 percent initial rating for the Veteran's major depressive disorder, recurrent episode, mild and generalized anxiety disorder but denied higher ratings for his lumbosacral strain and left shoulder disability.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability, left wrist disability, and sleep apnea as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active military service.