Sleep apnea decisions — 2026

The Board has granted secondary service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the evidence is at least in approximate balance as to whether these conditions are proximately due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) as secondary to his service-connected Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The decision is based on two medical opinions, one positive and one negative, with the latter being entitled to little probative value due to its reliance on an unsupported BMI calculation.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea, and knee conditions as secondary to lumbosacral strain due to insufficient evidence or further clarification from the parties.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to his service-connected depression (major depressive disorder) with generalized anxiety disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors and incomplete toxic exposure records. The Board will consider the evidence of record at the time of the May 2025 rating decision.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) as there is not an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence, and the appeal is based on a direct theory without any link to herbicide exposure or other service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's request to increase the rating for right shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis has been withdrawn and is dismissed.,New evidence received since the April 2021 decision supports readjudicating the claims for service connection of left foot pain, right foot pain, and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of bilateral knee strain and lumbosacral strain was granted on February 28, 2024. The Board denied an earlier effective date because the first complete claim (for sleep apnea) was filed after the ITF.

The Veteran is granted an initial 50 percent disability rating for service-connected obstructive sleep apnea, based on aggravation by his service-connected hypertension and stroke.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for lumbosacral spine degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease, and strain residuals is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus type II, chronic shoulder pain, and chronic knee pain as the evidence did not support a causal relationship to service or any presumptive exposure.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is aggravated by his service-connected allergic rhinitis with headaches, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) as secondary to his service-connected Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), finding that obesity, caused by PTSD, is the intermediary step between the two conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his active duty service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder, finding that there was no medical nexus between the two conditions.

The Board has found that the Veteran's OSA is not service-connected due to insufficient evidence, and has ordered a remand for further evaluation of the claim.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for sleep apnea was denied, and his claim for TDIU was granted. The Board found that the Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea as it was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and there is no evidence of toxic exposure. The Veteran's contention that OSA was secondary to service-connected PTSD and tinnitus was also denied due to insufficient medical evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence in some cases, and a new VA examination is needed.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for erectile dysfunction and service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, as well as his claims for service connection for a deviated septum and tinnitus due to procedural errors in the initial rating decisions.