Sleep apnea decisions — 2026

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current OSA is related to his in-service symptoms and service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to a failure to provide adequate medical opinions regarding the secondary nature of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and right knee disability. The AOJ will need to obtain additional medical opinions addressing these theories.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in pre-decisional duty to assist, and a need for an additional medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee strain, sinusitis, and left hip strain with bursitis. Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is also granted as it was caused by the Veteran's service-connected rhinitis.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for lumbosacral strain and spondylosis is dismissed as a freestanding claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for migraines and OSA due to inadequate VA opinions prior to the rating decision, and additional evidence is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea was incurred during his active service, and therefore grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The Veteran's OSA is related to his service-connected PTSD and chronic sinusitis, but further development is needed to determine if these conditions caused or aggravated OSA.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and migraine headaches, but denied service connection for low back disorder, cervical spine disorder, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, left knee disorder, left ankle disorder, voiding dysfunction, GERD, hypertension, OSA, and PTSD.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and evaluations for sleep apnea, headache disability, right foot hammer toes, and left foot hammer toes have been dismissed.

The Board has found that the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to service, but remanded for further examination and opinion due to inadequate medical evidence in the prior decision.

The Veteran's claims for lumbosacral strain, left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and left knee strain have been granted with an effective date of May 30, 2019.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors in failing to provide VA examination or medical opinion for the Veteran's claims of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and a sleep disorder, to include insomnia. The Veteran contends his conditions may be related to his duties as a Fire Protection Specialist during service.

The Veteran's ratings for GERD and lumbosacral strain were restored to their original levels due to improper reduction.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right knee disabilities, left and right leg shin splints, and lumbosacral strain. The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is denied as it clearly existed prior to service and was not aggravated by any in-service injury.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and left knee disabilities are granted, but her left wrist disability is denied. The Board finds a remand necessary to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error before adjudicating the service connection for left knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), finding that it is etiologically related to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disability, specifically posttraumatic stress disorder with major depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder. The decision resolves any doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, finding no relevant respiratory injury or disease during service and insufficient evidence to link the current condition to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right lower extremity radiculopathy with sciatic nerve involvement, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and lumbosacral strain are being remanded due to a duty to assist error. The Board requires new VA examinations addressing the severity of these conditions without considering the ameliorative effects of medications.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for respiratory insufficiency dyspnea, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), cardiac arrhythmia, and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) as they have already been granted by a previous VA rating decision.,The Board has also dismissed the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis due to lack of evidence showing greater than 50 percent obstruction of nasal passage on both sides or complete obstruction on one side.