Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obesity, which is an intermediate step between his service-connected left knee and lumbar spine disabilities, caused or aggravated his sleep apnea. Therefore, he is granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to these conditions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, finding that it manifested during active service and is related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's sleep apnea and its relationship to his service-connected lung disability, as well as potential exposure to burn pits during his Gulf War service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the onset and relationship of sleep apnea to service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection based on continuity of symptomatology. The right and left knee disorders, obstructive sleep apnea, and urinary tract disorder were remanded for further review.

The Board has remanded the case due to a pre-decisional error in the duty to assist, and additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to his service-connected PTSD or other factors.

Your service connection for obstructive sleep apnea has already been granted and you are receiving a 50% disability rating since December 6, 2021. There is nothing left to appeal in this case.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in approximate balance as to whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected PTSD and tinnitus, thus granting service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea secondary to his service-connected PTSD should be remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea secondary to his service-connected asthma was granted with an effective date of July 29, 2020. The Board found that the earliest possible effective date permitted by law is this date.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected dysthymic disorder with anxiety, and obesity was an intermediate step in this process.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and sleep apnea have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since January 1, 2016. Effective January 1, 2016, he has been granted TDIU based on his PTSD alone. Additionally, effective November 5, 2021, the Veteran has also been granted SMC at the housebound rate due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was caused or aggravated by his service-connected conditions. The VA will obtain additional medical opinions on these issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for deviated septum and sleep apnea as secondary to deviated septum due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions. The VA must obtain a new opinion from an appropriately qualified clinician.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected unspecified depressive disorder. The claim of service connection for headaches is remanded due to insufficient opinions regarding aggravation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The Board found that the earliest possible effective dates for the grants of service connection are May 31, 2017 (for lumbosacral strain and right knee strain and patellofemoral pain syndrome) and January 16, 2019 (for allergic rhinitis). The claims for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, irritable bowel syndrome, bronchitis, and a left ankle condition are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is granted an increased initial rating of 50 percent effective July 13, 2012.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient reasoning in a previous VA opinion regarding whether sleep apnea is secondary to service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's rating for sleep apnea with asthma was reduced from 60% to 50%, effective July 1, 2020. The reduction is proper as there has been actual improvement in the disability level and ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to exposure to burn pit smoke during deployment in Iraq. The Veteran's current diagnosis is obstructive sleep apnea, and he contends this condition is related to his service. However, a VA examiner's opinion was insufficient as it did not consider the Veteran's presumed exposure to BPOTs and failed to address the Veteran's lay statements about symptoms since exposure.