Sleep apnea decisions — 2018

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea and TBI as additional evidence is needed, including updated VA treatment records and new examinations.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including for residuals of a traumatic brain injury and major depressive disorder. The rating for right elbow bursitis remains denied. Service connection is denied for left hip disability, right hip disability, and lumbosacral strain.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee bursitis, right knee bursitis, lumbosacral strain, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss. Service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is also granted.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea is denied as he does not have a current diagnosis of the condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is caused or aggravated by her service-connected asthma, allergic rhinitis, and/or sinusitis. The Veteran will need a new examination to determine this.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including a bilateral eye disability, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, gastrointestinal disorder, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and bilateral foot disability. The reasons include outstanding VA treatment records, need for addendum opinions on hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, gastrointestinal disorder, and bilateral foot disability, and remand for an examination to clarify lumbar radiculopathy.

The claims of service connection for thoracic scoliosis and a low back disability have been denied as new and material evidence has not been received.,The claims of service connection for a heart disability and hypertension (claimed as high blood pressure) have been reopened, but the merits of these claims remain denied.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, ischemic heart disease, and hairy cell leukemia as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD. The Board also denied service connection for these conditions as a result of herbicide exposure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than February 13, 2001 for the grant of service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and remanded his other claims due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has determined that a new examination and medical opinion are needed to determine if the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is aggravated by his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of adenocarcinoma of the prostate has been granted. The Board also remanded several issues related to low back and neck conditions, sleep apnea, chest pain, tingling in hands, cold injuries of the feet and hands, skin conditions/rashes, and hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hip disability, right eye SFW, and PTSD due to outstanding treatment records and further medical opinions being needed.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied, and his service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea is remanded.

The Veteran's intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical spine disorder, left knee disorder, left foot disorder, OSA, and dermatitis are all granted as service-connected. The conditions were presumed to have been incurred in service due to exposure to herbicides.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are inextricably intertwined and requires additional medical opinions to address the etiology of his conditions, including septal deviation, epistaxis, sinusitis, and obstructive sleep apnea. The claims will be remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine if sleep apnea is related to service-connected PTSD, and whether the Veteran's ability to work due to his disabilities should be considered.

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

The Board has granted an initial 20 percent rating for the appellant's lumbosacral spine disability, effective July 20, 2018. The condition is currently manifested by forward flexion limited to 60 degrees with pain and a combined range of motion of 185 degrees.

The Board has granted service connection for a lower back condition, finding that the Veteran's current disability is related to her fall during active duty. The decision resolves all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is caused by his service-connected PTSD.,Evidence received since the October 2002 rating decision relates to a previously unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim for entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss.