Sleep apnea decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for a lumbosacral strain, left and right shoulder acromioclavicular joint separations, and migraine headaches. Atrial fibrillation and a left foot condition were denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for various service-connected conditions, including frostbite residuals of the upper and lower extremities, left hip strain, tinnitus, depressive and alcohol use disorders, radiculopathy, anosmia, right upper eyelid scar, cervical spine disability, and lumbosacral strain.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board remands the claim for an addendum opinion to determine if the Veteran's service-connected right and left leg shin splints caused or aggravated his obesity, which in turn led to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

The Board remands the claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain to obtain an addendum VA medical opinion addressing the nature and etiology of the condition.

The Board remands the claims for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of the service-connected left hip strain and lumbosacral strain.

The appeal for service connection for cervical spine disease with radicular arm pain and bilateral first metatarsophalangeal degenerative joint disease was dismissed as there was no final decision to appeal. The claims were granted in a subsequent rating decision.

The Board remands the claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to service-connected disabilities due to a need for additional evidence and an adequate VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for migraine headaches, insomnia, an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for sleep apnea, and an increased rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD.

The Board granted an effective date of December 28, 2022, for the award of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea to obtain additional medical opinions.

The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hypertension, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease and a bilateral knee strain, while denying service connection for fibromyalgia, an undiagnosed Gulf War illness (UGWI), or a medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness (MUCMI).

The Board remands the claim for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for lumbosacral strain prior to February 6, 2023, to obtain a retrospective medical report addressing disability between 2013 and 2023.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for sleep apnea to obtain an addendum opinion addressing direct service connection and aggravation of the Veteran's condition.

The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea but denied it for a foot disorder.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as there was no evidence to support a higher rating or a link between his claimed conditions and military service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to a service-connected psychiatric disorder, with obesity as an intermediate step.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease, left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, and right wrist condition as there was no evidence to support a finding that these conditions were related to his active duty service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and remanded several issues for further development.