Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to a pre-decisional error in the duty to assist, and additional development is needed including obtaining outstanding records from various facilities.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to be aggravated by his service-connected left knee and major depressive disorder disabilities, with obesity acting as an intermediate step.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as service-connected, with the Board finding that his symptoms began during service.

The Veteran's claims for sleep apnea, PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been granted. The claim for sleep apnea is remanded due to a change in the character of service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion and failure to obtain necessary evidence. The Veteran's service connection claim for low back disability is pending.

The Board has determined that the current medical opinions are inadequate and remands the case for further development to address the nature and etiology of the appellant's obstructive sleep apnea, including whether it is related to service-connected conditions or other factors.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, but remanded the issue of service connection for basal cell carcinoma due to a lack of a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for sleep apnea due to a duty to assist error and an incomplete rationale in the April 2021 VA clinician's opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorder aggravated her obesity, which may have caused or aggravated her sleep apnea.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of sleep apnea has been dismissed due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of an adequate opinion regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD and IBS. The VA examiner provided a diagnosis but no nexus opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not related to his active-duty service. The Board also found no indication that it has been caused or aggravated by service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of an adequate nexus opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea. The VA is required to schedule the Veteran for a new examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to conflicting evidence regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to his service-connected disabilities of chronic sinusitis and allergic rhinitis. The Veteran argues for a direct relationship, while the VA examiner found no such link.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in obtaining necessary medical opinions and evaluations, particularly regarding a sleep study for sleep apnea. The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with alcohol use disorder is also being considered as potentially related to his sleep apnea.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for an additional VA medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, specifically whether it is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by his service-connected feet, back, and migraines.

The Board has remanded all but one of the claims for additional development, particularly to determine whether the Veteran served in Vietnam and was exposed to tactical herbicide agents. The dental disability claim is denied as there is no indication or assertion that tactical herbicide agents resulted in a dental disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error, requiring further examination and opinion regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is secondary to her service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's appeals for initial compensable ratings for migraine headaches, TBI with PTSD, and right leg scar have been dismissed. The appeal for an increased rating for lumbosacral strain (back disability) is remanded.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea may be related to service, but more evidence is needed for a definitive determination.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for OSA is granted, with the condition that he requires the use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. The Veteran was previously rated at a 30 percent evaluation due to asthma and sleep apnea, but now receives a separate 50 percent evaluation for OSA.