Sleep apnea decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea and lumbosacral strain is granted. The Board found that the evidence supports a link between these conditions and his active service, with no specific evidence indicating an onset during service but noting symptoms present during service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran’s tinnitus had its onset during active service and will resolve the benefit of the doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran is granted an initial increased rating of 10 percent for bronchitis from September 14, 2011 and a 30 percent evaluation for asthma from February 17, 2015. Service connection for sleep apnea secondary to service-connected allergic rhinitis is also granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to an incomplete opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current sleep apnea is related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling an examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining relevant private treatment records.

The Board found that the Veteran's sleep apnea is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including back condition, hearing loss, sleep apnea, kidney condition, skin rash over the entire body, hypothyroidism, PTSD, and depressive disorder. The decision also includes a remand for TDIU due to inextricably intertwined issues.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to service-connected PTSD. Service connection for ischemic heart disease due to herbicide exposure is denied. The temporary total disability rating based on convalescence is also denied.

The Board has decided that the VA examination report is inadequate and requires a remand for an addendum opinion. The Veteran's service-connected PTSD may be contributing to his obstructive sleep apnea, but this needs further clarification from a pulmonologist/sleep medicine specialist.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea was incurred during active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's sleep apnea, finding that it is likely to have manifested during his military service.

The appeal of service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea, left lower extremity peripheral vascular arterial and venous insufficiency, right lower extremity peripheral vascular arterial and venous insufficiency, acquired psychiatric disorder, hypertension, vision disorder, and bilateral hearing loss is dismissed. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was reopened and granted. The appeal is remanded to determine the etiology of his OSA.

The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 20 percent, the maximum rating available under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The Board found that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as he does not have forward flexion limited to 30 degrees or less, nor ankylosis.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease, degenerative joint disease, and IVDS is rated at 40 percent. The Board found that the evidence did not show unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine or incapacitating episodes warranting a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for obstructive sleep apnea and an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include anxiety and depression) due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran must be scheduled for VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a vision disorder, bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), and sleep apnea due to lack of current evidence or inadequate examination reports.

The Board denied the petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea as no new and material evidence was submitted.

The Board dismissed the appeals for sleep apnea and migraines due to the appellant's death.