Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Veteran's PTSD, sleep apnea, hypertension, right MCA stroke with left-sided hemiplegia and major neurocognitive impairment, headaches, left ankle sprain, cervical sprain, and lumbar disc disease are all granted as secondary to service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations obtained for this claim were inadequate and remands the case to obtain a new examination. The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is being considered on its own merits, without any service connection theory.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for obstructive sleep apnea and thyroid nodule due to procedural errors, including a lack of proper administrative review requests. The AOJ is instructed to obtain a VA examination and medical opinion regarding direct service connection for both conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as there was no current diagnosis of OSA in the record.

The Veteran's claim of clear and unmistakable error in the January 2018 rating decision that denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is dismissed without prejudice to refiling.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension but granted secondary service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran's hypertension is not related to his military service, while his sleep apnea is linked to his COPD.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected PTSD, based on a recent private medical opinion that found a positive nexus between the two conditions.

The appeal regarding entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea and SMC based on aid and attendance and/or housebound status is dismissed as untimely.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) as secondary to obesity caused by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected chronic rhinitis.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea due to insufficient medical opinions addressing causation and aggravation by service-connected disabilities, including unspecified depressive disorder and hypertension.

The Board has found that the reductions of ratings for back and right knee disabilities were improper due to inadequate examinations. The claims are remanded for further evaluations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a deficiency in the April 2024 VA medical examination, specifically regarding passive range of motion testing for pain.

The Veteran's appeal of proposed reductions in ratings for his service-connected back disability and right sciatic nerve radiculopathy is dismissed. The claim of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for left sciatic nerve radiculopathy is remanded.

The Board has determined that there are pre-decisional duty to assist errors in the October 2024 and April 2025 rating decisions, specifically regarding the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, pes planus, right knee disability, lower back strain (lumbosacral strain), and degenerative arthritis (osteoarthritis) in foot, right. The Board has therefore remanded these issues to correct these errors.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and obstructive sleep apnea, finding insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has denied service connection for a back disability, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the Veteran's current condition and his military service. The appeal regarding effective dates for TDIU and SMC is also denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions regarding service connection for OSA and its aggravation by PTSD, as well as the role of obesity in causing or aggravating OSA. The Veteran's service-connected conditions are not found to have caused or aggravated his obesity.

The appeal for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral spine strain is dismissed. The reduction of the ratings for left and right knee limitations of extension are found to be improper, and the original ratings are restored.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for obstructive sleep apnea due to a potential error in not considering toxic exposure from service, and requires a new opinion on whether this condition is related to service.