Sleep apnea decisions — 2026

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for service connection in all five issues, resulting in the dismissal of these claims.

The Veteran's appeal concerning non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and obstructive sleep apnea has been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is causally related to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder, and therefore grants service connection for OSA.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Service connection is denied for depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), neck disability, left upper extremity nerve condition, right upper extremity nerve condition, restless leg syndrome, left knee disability, anxiety, insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, left wrist disability, right wrist disability, intestinal disability, hemorrhoids, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, and bilateral foot disability.,Service connection is denied for neck disability. Service connection is remanded for entitlement to service connection for anxiety, insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, left wrist disability, right wrist disability, intestinal disability, hemorrhoids, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, and bilateral foot disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a respiratory disorder, including claims related to asbestos exposure and claimed ionizing radiation exposure. The evidence did not support a link between any in-service exposures and the current diagnoses.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a lumbar spine disability, a cervical spine disability, and a left knee disability due to the Veteran's failure to report for VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for headaches, painful surgical scar, left chest, hypertension, left elbow degenerative joint disease, and lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome due to incomplete VA treatment records.,No effective date earlier than specified dates was granted as there is no probative evidence showing the conditions had their onset during service or are otherwise related to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus, acquired psychiatric disorder, left parotidectomy residuals, head scar, OSA, back disorder, right knee disorder, and right ankle disorder have been granted service connection. The Veteran's TBI, jaw disorder, hearing loss, IBS, right elbow disorder, and left ankle disorder have not been granted service connection.

The Veteran's left shoulder impingement syndrome with osteoarthritis and lumbosacral strain with mild degenerative disc disease have been remanded for further development.

The Board has previously considered and remanded the issue of service connection for sleep apnea. The matter is now being remanded due to insufficient compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diagnosed Obstructive Sleep Apnea is related to his service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence to support a direct or secondary relationship between his current condition and his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to procedural errors and the need for additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's service-connected OSA, including its relationship with his obesity and other service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in notice and an inadequate statement of reasons or bases regarding certain issues. The Veteran is being provided with a right to a hearing, and his appeal will be reconsidered.

The Board has remanded the claims for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, valvular heart disease, hypertension, left wrist condition, right wrist condition, left ankle condition, right ankle condition, right elbow condition, left elbow condition, neck condition, right arm condition, left arm condition, sleep apnea, left knee condition, right knee condition, back condition, bowel condition, headaches, and bilateral flatfoot for further adjudication due to a failure to provide notice of the right to a hearing as provided by 38 C.F.R. �� 3.103(b)(1) and (d)(1).

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea was denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for allergic rhinitis was denied due to the lack of evidence showing greater than 50 percent obstruction of either nasal passage or presence of polyps.,Increased ratings for right and left hip conditions were denied as there is no evidence of additional loss of range of motion due to pain.

The appeal for service connection of erectile dysfunction is dismissed. The claims for chronic kidney disease, headache condition, OSA, and diabetes are remanded.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of December 28, 2019 for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) based on the Veteran's service-connected obstructive sleep apnea and additional disabilities.,SMC was granted from August 7, 2020, to June 6, 2021, and again from August 12, 2022.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of July 14, 2005 for SMC based on housebound status is granted. The decision finds that the Veteran has a single disability rated as total (left knee disability via extraschedular TDIU from February 25, 2005) and separate service-connected disabilities ratable at a combined 60 percent disabling (acquired psychiatric disorder at 70 percent from July 14, 2005), as required by the law.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea on a secondary basis, finding that it is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected cervical spine condition, lumbar spine condition, and hemochromatosis.