Sleep apnea decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's symptoms had an onset during his period of service and were related to weight gain and obesity.

The Board granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, left sciatic radicular pain, and headaches. It also granted an initial rating of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a rating of 30 percent for lipoma of the skin on the back of the head. The claims for increased ratings for right knee strain with shin splints and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome were denied, as was the claim for an initial compensable rating for allergic rhinitis.

The appeal for service connection for heart disease was dismissed, and the claims for erectile dysfunction, sleep apnea, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and COPD were denied. The claim for chronic hip pain was remanded.

The Board remands the claim for an Inspire Therapy device due to errors in the March 2024 decisional letter and the need to ensure all relevant evidence is considered.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and denied service connection for fatigue, claimed as chronic fatigue syndrome.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a higher initial evaluation for lumbosacral strain and degenerative disc disease, maintaining the ratings of 20 percent from May 4, 2021; and rated 10 percent from April 25, 2022.

The Board granted service connection for sinusitis under the PACT Act, OSA as secondary to rhinitis, and a 70 percent rating for depressive disorder secondary to service-connected lumbar spine disability. The claims for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for depressive disorder and a compensable rating for migraine headaches were denied.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine and sciatic radiculopathy of the left lower extremity as secondary to a service-connected right knee disability, but denied service connection for a cervical spine disability and sleep apnea.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) secondary to the Veteran's service-connected post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), finding that the evidence is in at least approximate balance that the OSA was aggravated by PTSD.

The Board granted service connection for insomnia disorder and obstructive sleep apnea, both linked to the Veteran's in-service exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The appeal for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was dismissed due to an impermissible concurrent election of review options.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea, and the appeal is dismissed.

The Board granted service connection for allergic rhinitis, a condition presumed to be related to the Veteran's service in Afghanistan.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right ankle and bilateral knee disabilities, finding that there is at least a 50% chance that his OSA was caused by his weight gain resulting from those conditions.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to PTSD, finding it at least as likely as not that the diagnosed sleep apnea is caused by the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea, as the issue was fully granted by the AOJ with an effective date of August 26, 2019.

The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea, finding the evidence to be in approximate balance as to whether the Veteran's sleep apnea had its onset during active duty.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, as well as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) secondary to a service-connected depression disability.

The Board denied the appeal, affirming the severance of service connection for various conditions due to clear and unmistakable errors in the prior decision.

The appellant, the Veteran's representative, is eligible for direct payment of attorney fees from past due benefits awarded in a March 2024 rating decision granting service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.