Sleep apnea decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for heart disability, hypertension, cervical spine/ neck disability, low back disability, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral arms and hands, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral legs, bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, bilateral feet disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, sleep apnea, thyroid disability, cerebrovascular accident (CVA), and acquired psychiatric disorder to include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), nervous disorder, anxiety, and depression.

The claims for service connection for scarring alopecia (claimed as hair loss) and PTSD have been rendered moot due to the complete grant of benefits. The remaining issues, including sleep apnea, vestibular disorder other than vertigo, TBI, fibromyalgia, back disorder, bilateral ankle disorder, eye disorder, respiratory disorder, hypertension, and skin disorder other than scarring alopecia, are remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea began during her service and is related to it, granting service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, breathing problems, obstructive sleep apnea, myocardial infarction, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression) due to incomplete VA examinations and lack of Social Security records.

The Board has remanded several issues including service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, sleep apnea, and PTSD due to the need for further development of evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and a colon condition. The issues are related to whether these conditions are related to his military service, specifically if they were caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development and opinion, including service connection claims for various conditions.

The Veteran's OSA and COPD were not shown to be related to military service or herbicide exposure. The Board found that the evidence did not support a link between his PTSD, diabetes, and other service-connected disabilities causing his OSA.

The Board denied service connection for cervical and lumbar spine arthritis, finding that the Veteran did not have a current disability related to his military service.,Service connection was also denied for stroke residuals due to lack of evidence of a current diagnosis during the appeal period.

The Board has remanded the issue of what initial rating is warranted for seborrheic dermatitis with rosacea since June 2, 2007 due to a lack of complete records and the need for an updated VA treatment opinion.

The Board has denied an increased rating for hypertension and remanded the claim for lumbosacral strain to include sciatica and DDD due to insufficient evidence regarding the severity of the appellant's thoracolumbar disability.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in the VA examiner's opinion regarding direct service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran is also asked to provide an addendum opinion on whether his current sleep apnea disability is linked to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea and pseudofolliculitis barbae, and awarded a TDIU rating based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, bronchial asthma, a sleep disorder (including insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea), and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has denied service connection for various hip, knee, shoulder, and sleep apnea disabilities as the evidence does not support a finding that any current disability is related to service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including blood clots, sleep apnea, prostate cancer, high blood pressure, fallen arches, and a psychiatric disorder (PTSD), have been denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including tinnitus and multiple cardiovascular conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. Service connection for tinnitus is granted based on in-service noise exposure.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, but remands it due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset and relationship to military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his lumbosacral spine disability is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.