Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the claim for service connection of sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD due to inadequate medical opinions and a need for further examination.

The Board has granted service connection for migraine headache disorder and sleep apnea on a secondary basis, as these conditions are proximately due to or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected asthma, COPD, and sleep apnea prevented her from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment for the period under review.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to obtain a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is directly related to service or caused by his service-connected disabilities, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder. The examiner must provide opinions on these issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently diagnosed Obstructive Sleep Apnea is proximately due to his service-connected Major Depressive Disorder and right shoulder ligament repair with osteoarthritis, granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bone and endocrine disorders, right and left dry eye syndrome, cervical spine DDD, foot osteoarthritis, lumbar spine arthritis, and right shoulder radiculopathy, have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a chronic disease or injury during service that could be linked to the current conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to his service-connected chronic posttraumatic stress disorder with depressive disorder, finding that OSA is proximately due to or aggravated by PTSD.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea may be related to his service, but needs further examination and medical opinion due to a recent law change (PACT Act).

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) as secondary to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with Obesity, finding that the obesity caused by PTSD is a substantial factor in causing OSA.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis of the spine are granted service connection as they are related to his in-service carrying of heavy loads on his back. The right shoulder impingement syndrome and rotator cuff tendonitis case is remanded for further review.

The Veteran is unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due to her service-connected disabilities, including anxiety and depressive disorder, lumbosacral strain, right carpal tunnel syndrome, and allergic rhinitis.

The Board has granted service connection for OSA as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder with depressed mood and unspecified anxiety disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and depression, have rendered him unemployable due to his inability to work due to his psychiatric symptoms and physical impairments. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus, cervical strain with degenerative disc disease, lumbosacral strain, and migraines are all remanded for further examination and opinion due to the need for a VA examination and medical nexus opinion regarding toxic exposure risk activities.

The Veteran's appeal of the denial for sleep apnea was dismissed. The back disorder claim is remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent from April 10, 2019. The rating for his sleep apnea with asthma remains at 50 percent, and the eczema is rated at 30 percent from September 6, 2019.

The Board has remanded the claims for GERD, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome of the left and right lower extremities, a disability manifested by shortness of breath, fatigue, cerebellar atrophy/ataxia, abnormal gait, abnormal balance, abnormal dexterity, speech impairment/dysarthria, and neurofibroma excision due to duty-to-assist errors. A new VA examination is required for each condition.

The Veteran's appeal for readjudicating the claim of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was dismissed because a December 2023 rating decision granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, which represents a full grant of benefits sought on appeal.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine prior to December 17, 2019 is being remanded due to missing private medical records from his March 2016 lumbar microdiscectomy.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of adequate opinion regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his active service and if it is aggravated by his service-connected tinnitus.