Sleep apnea decisions — 2026

The Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the hands and feet, headaches, and sleep apnea were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or a nexus to service.,No effective date earlier than August 11, 2023, was granted for the award of service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has granted a TDIU based solely on the Veteran's service-connected headache disability, effective February 1, 2019. Additionally, SMC was granted due to the Veteran having multiple service-connected disabilities rated at 60 percent or more.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and sleep apnea are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that his condition did not originate in service and is not otherwise etiologically related to service. The evidence does not show a chronic disease or injury during service, and there is no probative value to the private medical opinion based on the diagnosis occurring during National Guard service.

The Veteran has withdrawn her appeals for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, migraines, degenerative arthritis with greater trochanteric bursitis of the right hip, sleep apnea, bladder condition, left carpal tunnel syndrome, right carpal tunnel syndrome, left knee disability, right knee disability, residuals of a left foot stress fracture, residuals of a right foot stress fracture, and tinnitus. The appeal is dismissed as a result.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for sleep apnea, which was denied in a previous rating decision. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for shin splints in both legs, pneumonia, a skin disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea. The Board found no current diagnoses or evidence of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the decision on appeal was not legally adequate and requires remand for further action, including obtaining a medical opinion from the CEAT regarding personal care services needs and supervision requirements. The AOJ must also provide compliant notice under 38 U.S.C. § 5104.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding the lack of an opinion on whether the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus and depression caused or aggravated his obesity, which in turn may have caused his OSA. The case is being returned for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for left shoulder condition and sleep apnea due to a pre-decisional error in not obtaining complete service treatment records and military personnel records, including verification of his periods of active duty, active duty for training (ACDUTRA), and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for premature ventricular contraction, gastritis, and obstructive sleep apnea require additional development due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors. The VA must obtain addendum medical opinions regarding these conditions' relationship to service, specifically addressing burn pit exposure.

The Veteran's avascular necrosis left hip, right foot pain, and left foot pain are all granted as service-connected.,Service connection is also granted for right ankle sprain, left ankle arthralgia, right shoulder pain, lumbago (lower back pain), and systolic heart murmur. Service connection for abnormal skin pigmentation and OSA (sleep apnea) is denied.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral allergic conjunctivitis and bilateral dry eye syndrome was granted, with the highest possible rating of 10 percent. The Veteran's chronic cholelithiasis (gallstones) was also granted an initial compensable rating of 10 percent.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in obtaining necessary medical records and for a VA examination to assess the Veteran's need for aid and attendance based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for OSA is being remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depression is found to have caused his diagnosed upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) and unspecified sleep apnea, which are now granted as secondary to the service-connected condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and requires additional medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's sleep apnea and his in-service exposure.

The Veteran's back disability rating was reduced from 40 percent to 20 percent, effective July 1, 2025. The reduction is granted as the evidence shows improvement in the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work.

The Board dismissed the appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for OSA as the rating decision granting service connection was void ab initio due to a finding of clear and unmistakable error (CUE).