Sleep apnea decisions — 2026

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle condition is denied due to lack of current diagnosis and recovery from prior injury.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right trigger finger condition is denied as there is no current diagnosis.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is denied as the evidence does not show it is related to his active-duty service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for bronchitis, OSA as secondary to rhinitis, and migraine headaches as secondary to hypertension or OSA. The AOJ will need to provide additional medical opinions addressing the nature and etiology of these conditions, including considering the synergistic effects of all relevant exposures.

The Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea is granted as there is competent medical evidence attributing the condition to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea due to a lack of medical opinions addressing the relationship between his service, service-connected conditions, and any in-service blood pressure readings. The issues are intertwined as the secondary claim is dependent on the primary claim.

The Board has found that the January 2021 VA medical opinion was inadequate and not responsive to the November 2020 Board remand directives. The claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is being remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Veteran's appeal includes claims for service connection for various conditions, including chronic sinusitis, cervical spine disorder, left hip disorder, foot disorders, and respiratory disorders. The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate these claims due to the lack of a VA examination in some cases.

The Veteran's lumbosacral spine strain is rated at 40 percent, but no higher. The Veteran's allergic rhinitis does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. Service connection for tinnitus has been granted.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is granted as service-connected, and his right knee strain is granted with a 60 percent rating effective November 5, 2019.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was denied, and the Board found that no effective date prior to May 30, 2019 is warranted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and will require additional medical opinions on whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, chronic fatigue syndrome, and hypertension.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee strain and an earlier effective date for obstructive sleep apnea have been dismissed because the appeal is concurrent with another pending appeal.

The Board has determined that there were duty to assist errors for the issues on appeal and remanded the case. The Veteran is required to report for VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his diabetes mellitus, lumbosacral spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, and left ankle disorder.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in obtaining necessary information and evidence, particularly regarding the Veteran's exposure to toxic substances during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for depression with panic attacks and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding four different conditions, and the Board has dismissed the appeal.

The Board has denied service connection for lumbosacral intervertebral disc syndrome with spinal stenosis as there was no in-service injury or disease, and the current condition is not related to service.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of a mental disorder, sleep apnea, and migraine headache disability due to untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement (NOD).

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current disabilities for shortness of breath, obstructive sleep apnea, right elbow disability, or any related foot and knee disabilities. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding these issues.

The Board granted a 70 percent evaluation for service-connected right upper extremity impairment/radiculopathy including carpal tunnel syndrome, and a 60 percent evaluation for service-connected left upper extremity impairment/radiculopathy including carpal tunnel syndrome.,Effective May 2, 2022, the Veteran's bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy disabilities were rated at 70 percent and 60 percent respectively.

The Veteran's TDIU and DEA were granted effective July 18, 2020. The case involves the Veteran's service-connected disabilities including PTSD, OSA, diabetes, cataracts, neuropathy, and other conditions.