Sleep apnea decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and tinnitus are service-connected, with both conditions having a direct link to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for vision and respiratory disorders are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the nature of his current eye and breathing conditions, as well as their relationship to service.

The Board denied service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, impotency, skin rash, sleep apnea, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities as secondary to type II diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development of the record and reconsideration of the claims due to errors in obtaining relevant records, including SSA disability benefits records. The Veteran's assertions regarding his alleged visit to Vietnam while a supply clerk are also being verified.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep disorder is not related to his active duty service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no evidence establishing a direct or secondary relationship between his current condition and active service.

The case is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the issues of service connection for left wrist disability, right wrist disability, and sleep apnea. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates, finding that his service-connected conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings or earlier effective dates.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and clarification of periods of active duty training.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, vision blurs, and coronary artery disease. The claims for increased ratings for mood disorder and back disability are being remanded for additional development. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claims for gout, obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus type II, and heart disability have all been denied. The Board found no evidence of these conditions in service or within one year post-service, and there is insufficient medical nexus evidence to link them to service.,There are no findings of OSA in the Veteran's service records, and the earliest diagnosis was several years after separation from service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board will address the issues on remand.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, lumbosacral strain, chest pain due to undiagnosed illness, and reactive airway disease due to undiagnosed illness, rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to April 25, 1999. Effective April 25, 1999, the Veteran was found unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are not service-connected as they were not caused or aggravated by his military service. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's current conditions are more likely due to obesity for sleep apnea, and noise exposure is not shown to have caused his hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeals for benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 and service connection are being remanded due to the need to obtain Quality Assurance records related to his MRSA infection.

The Board has restored the Veteran's 40 percent rating for his low back disability and remanded the issue of service connection for sleep apnea due to secondary to GERD.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea syndrome, finding that there is no evidence linking his current disability to active duty service or any other service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability as a result of service-connected disabilities was denied due to his failure to report for a necessary VA examination.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for sleep apnea and granted it, finding that there is at least equipoise evidence in favor of a relationship between the Veteran's sleep apnea and his service-connected PTSD.