Sleep apnea decisions — 2026

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, bradycardia, and high cholesterol (claimed as dyslipidemia) due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.,Specifically, the VA examiner found no current diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea or bradycardia, and concluded that any such conditions were not related to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's claim for a right corneal abrasion is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,The Veteran's claims for diabetes, hypertension, and kidney conditions are remanded due to potential service connection based on exposure at Camp Lejeune.,The Veteran's claim for sleep apnea is remanded due to his contention that he has had the condition for over 30 years.,The Veteran's claim for bilateral pes planus is remanded as there is no clear and unmistakable evidence of aggravation by service.,The Veteran's claim for degenerative arthritis, right hip, is remanded due to lack of a nexus between service and his current condition.,The Veteran's claims for right and left ankle conditions are both remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it is proximately due to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee and shoulder disabilities with obesity as an intermediate step.

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to service connection for OSA as secondary to service-connected disabilities due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran's OSA is being evaluated based on direct service connection and secondary service connection theories.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected depressive disorder with anxious distress, attributing the weight gain and resultant OSA to his mental health condition.

The Board has determined that there were duty to assist errors in the March 2020 rating decision and remanded for further development, including obtaining medical opinions on the etiology of sleep apnea and migraines.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is found to be related to military service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and erectile dysfunction must be remanded due to a lack of adequate medical opinions on the issues.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure of VA to obtain a VA opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea. The Veteran is seeking service connection for his sleep apnea, which he contends is related to exposure to hazardous materials during his active-duty service in Kuwait or proximately due to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for asthma and sleep apnea due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for reactive airway disease.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no evidence to support a direct relationship between his current condition and his military service or any service-connected conditions. The opinions of VA examiners were considered in reaching this decision.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms did not result in total occupational and social impairment, but his service-connected OSA alone rendered him unemployable from September 23, 2022 to July 23, 2024. The appeal for a higher rating for PTSD is denied, while the TDIU based on OSA is granted.

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

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for lumbosacral strain and his TDIU claim due to service-connected lumbosacral strain have both been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increased rating or entitlement to TDIU.

The Veteran's headaches, bilateral hip condition, lumbosacral strain, left knee condition, and left ankle strain are all granted as secondary to service-connected PTSD. A disability rating of 70 percent for PTSD is also granted.

The Veteran's post-traumatic headaches are granted a 50 percent rating, but the Board has remanded his claim for service connection of OSA due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any sleep apnea, as there is insufficient medical evidence to decide the claim.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is rated at 10 percent, and the appeal for an increased rating higher than 10 percent has been denied. The issues of service connection for left Achilles disability, migraine headaches, and GERD have also been dismissed.

The Veteran's initial rating for bilateral plantar fasciitis was denied, and the issues of service connection for OSA and lumbar spine disability were remanded due to procedural errors in obtaining relevant evidence.