Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for further development and opinion regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), including a potential link to toxic exposure during military service. The Veteran's OSA is being considered on both direct service connection grounds and due to his Gulf War deployments, which may be related to toxic exposures.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea did not manifest during service and is unrelated to service. The claim for service connection for sleep apnea is denied.

Service connection for diabetes mellitus type II (DM II) and hypertension (HTN) is granted on a presumptive basis due to herbicide agent exposure.,Service connection for right hip osteoarthritis, post hip replacement and left hip osteoarthritis, post hip replacement are granted on a direct basis.

The Board has granted service connection for migraine headaches and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by his service-connected psychiatric disability and low back disability.

The Veteran seeks service connection for his sleep apnea, which he claims is secondary to his PTSD. The Board finds a duty to assist error occurred and remands the case for an updated medical opinion regarding whether PTSD caused or aggravated his obesity, which in turn may have contributed to his sleep apnea.

The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) as it is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected multiple orthopedic disabilities and insomnia disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of OSA was granted with an effective date of January 24, 2018. The Board found that the earliest possible effective date should be December 12, 2017, based on his Intent to File (ITF) application.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there is not a causal relationship between his current condition and his military service or exposure to herbicide agents. The evidence does not support a direct link.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, and thus grants service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected PTSD, with obesity as an intermediary step. The evidence supports this finding and reasonable doubt must be resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied service connection for sleep disturbance (claimed as sleep apnea) and granted a 10 percent initial rating for voiding dysfunction. The Veteran's voiding dysfunction is manifested by urinary frequency with awakening to void two times per night.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that his symptoms began during service and are related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete information and needs additional evidence regarding the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, including a non-VA sleep study report. The file will be returned for further examination by a VA examiner.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of OSA was granted with an effective date of January 22, 2015. The Board found that the initial denial in September 2016 did not become final due to new evidence submitted within one year of notification and considered by VA.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding the relationship between the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and his service-connected bilateral tinnitus. The AOJ is required to obtain an addendum opinion from an appropriate clinician addressing whether the sleep apnea is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by the tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) has been withdrawn, and thus the appeal is dismissed.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error in the December 2019 examination, which did not consider other service-connected disabilities and prescribed medications. The Veteran's sleep apnea is being reviewed for potential secondary service connection.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine with right lower radiculopathy is related to service and has been granted.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as presumptively related to herbicide exposure in Korea. The Veteran's sleep apnea claim is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal. The Board cannot issue a decision on the underlying claims at this time.