Sleep apnea decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical opinions regarding his sleep apnea and heart disability.

The Board has remanded the appeal due to incomplete development and requests for additional opinions on service connection claims.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his lumbosacral spine disability was denied prior to March 23, 2009. From that date forward, the claim was also denied.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for sleep apnea that he believes was caused or worsened by his service-connected nasal fracture residuals with septal deviation. The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and examination.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for various disabilities. The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and need for additional examinations.,The Veteran seeks service connection for tinnitus and hearing loss, which are conceded by VA. He also seeks service connection for pneumonia residuals, digestive disability (claimed as food poisoning), hypertension, and sleep apnea.,The Veteran is seeking service connection for pneumonia residuals, which may be related to exposure to Agent Orange. He also seeks service connection for a digestive disability (food poisoning) that may be secondary to PTSD and/or exposure to Agent Orange, and for hypertension and sleep apnea that may be secondary to PTSD and/or exposure to Agent Orange.,The Veteran is seeking service connection for residuals of pneumonia, which may be related to exposure to Agent Orange. He also seeks service connection for a digestive disability (food poisoning) that may be secondary to PTSD and/or exposure to Agent Orange, and for hypertension and sleep apnea that may be secondary to PTSD and/or exposure to Agent Orange.,The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension, which may be related to exposure to Agent Orange. He also seeks service connection for a digestive disability (food poisoning) that may be secondary to PTSD and/or exposure to Agent Orange, and for sleep apnea that may be secondary to PTSD and/or exposure to Agent Orange.,The Veteran is seeking service connection for sleep apnea, which may be related to exposure to Agent Orange. He also seeks service connection for a digestive disability (food poisoning) that may be secondary to PTSD and/or exposure to Agent Orange, and for hypertension that may be secondary to PTSD and/or exposure to Agent Orange.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development to determine if he is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities, specifically DDD of the lumbosacral spine and ischemic heart disease. The VA will obtain additional medical opinions regarding these conditions' impact on employment.

The Veteran's sleep apnea was granted service connection. Initial compensable ratings for his left and right ankle disabilities were granted from July 6, 2009 to June 12, 2011 with a rating of 10 percent each.,Ratings higher than 10 percent for the Veteran's left and right ankle disabilities were granted from June 13, 2011 to April 3, 2014 with a rating of 20 percent each. However, ratings higher than 20 percent since April 4, 2014 have been denied.,The Veteran's service-connected ankle disabilities are rated based on the criteria for limitation of motion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claims and that there was no relationship between his current conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's death was caused by hypertensive cardiovascular disease, with obesity and obstructive sleep apnea contributing to his death. The Board has ordered additional development due to missing medical records and the need for a determination on whether ischemic heart disease contributed substantially or materially to cause the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is a congenital defect and not service-connected, as there was no disease or injury during military service that resulted in an additional disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for a new hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO, and the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is still pending.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is caused by or related to his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for his left femur fracture with traumatic left hip arthritis or lumbosacral strain, including degenerative disc disease.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and VA treatment records, scheduling appropriate examinations, and readjudicating the claims.

The Board has remanded the claims due to a request for a video-conference hearing. The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, seizures, and sleep apnea are pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, PTSD, and aortic stenosis are not related to service. The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations to determine the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to work, and for consideration of extraschedular TDIU criteria.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and a higher initial rating for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his lower back condition, and the failure to provide a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) for the period prior to December 30, 2011.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea and whether it is related to service. The case is therefore being remanded for an examination and opinion.

The Board found that the Veteran's leiomyosarcoma was not incurred in service and is not otherwise related to his service. The claim for service connection was granted based on a presumption of service connection due to exposure to ionizing radiation during Operation Redwing.