Sleep apnea decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and sleep apnea was granted effective November 6, 2012. The Veteran is not entitled to an earlier effective date.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder in July 1974. The Veteran applied to reopen his claim on May 31, 2011 and was granted service connection at 10 percent effective that date. The Board found no basis for an earlier effective date.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is related to service and granted her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims were denied across multiple issues, including service connection for various conditions and ratings for existing disabilities. The appeals are not about service connection at all.

The Veteran's Parkinson's disease is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during service. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, and mood disorder, is granted on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's sleep apnea is found to be secondary to his service-connected PTSD. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities is also granted on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected OSA, IHD, and prostate cancer are not related to his active military service. The claims for increased ratings of bilateral hearing loss and left hand disability have been remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The evidence did not establish a nexus between the Veteran's hypertension or sleep apnea and his service-connected diabetes.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in a combined effect that warrants an extra-schedular rating, and his claim for heart disease is denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection as his current lumbosacral strain is not etiologically related to his active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral eye disability (temporary blindness) related to service, and his other claimed disabilities are either not supported by evidence of record or do not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and records.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability, sleep apnea, neck condition and gastrointestinal condition are all service-connected. The Board has also granted service connection for sinusitis and low back condition. However, the Veteran's bilateral shoulder, elbow, wrist and knee conditions have not been established as service-connected.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, and gastrointestinal disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining medical opinions and VA examinations.

The Veteran's sleep apnea requires the use of a CPAP machine, but does not meet the criteria for higher ratings as it did not result in chronic respiratory failure or require tracheostomy.

The Veteran's appeal includes claims for increased PTSD rating, service connection for sleep apnea, and TDIU. The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed for PTSD due to the Veteran's assertion of worsening symptoms since his last examination in 2015. Additionally, the issue of service connection for sleep apnea is now in appellate status as it was not previously addressed by the RO.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to service, including as secondary to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA examination, and readjudicating the claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is being remanded due to new evidence and contentions. An addendum opinion will be requested from the April 2016 VA examiner to address whether his sleep apnea is related to in-service low potassium levels, jaw fracture, broken nose, swollen glands from colds, or stomach ulcers. The claim will also consider whether service-connected hypertension may have aggravated his sleep apnea.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, sleep apnea, cervical spine stenosis, and migraine headaches have been denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or a service-connected disability.