Sleep apnea decisions — 2018

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed because the Veteran withdrew his claims concerning new and material evidence for service connection for sleep apnea and the propriety of reducing the rating for coronary artery disease from 60 percent to 30 percent effective July 1, 2016.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, granted for some conditions, and remanded for others. The appeal is dismissed as moot due to the grant of a 100% rating for depressive disorder.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to address the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, including as secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The VA will obtain any outstanding records and provide the Veteran with an examination to determine if he has sleep apnea and whether it is related to his military service or his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected orthopedic disabilities caused his obesity, which in turn aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for sleep apnea, including as secondary to PTSD. The case is sent back for an addendum opinion from a clinician or examiner who reviewed the Veteran's medical records and provided opinions on whether his sleep apnea had its onset during service, was caused by his PTSD, or was aggravated by his PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea began during his active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's PTSD is being remanded for obtaining updated VA and private treatment records, as well as a VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on employment. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Board granted service connection for a low back disability, but remanded the issue of secondary service connection for sleep apnea to PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea was granted, with the decision stating that his OSA had its onset in service and is therefore service-connected.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for sleep apnea was dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing their request. The claim for a higher rating for left shoulder disability is remanded, and the claim for cervical spine disability is also remanded.

The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea, but denied an increased rating for lumbar myositis. The Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea was reopened due to new and material evidence, and the Board found that his sleep apnea is related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for gastrointestinal disability, headaches, GERD and hypertension, sleep disorder/sleep apnea, mood disorder, and CVID. The issues are related to whether these conditions are directly related to his military service or if they were caused by other conditions he is already service-connected for.

The Veteran's sleep apnea requires the use of a CPAP machine, and he is granted an initial rating of 50 percent effective January 16, 2015.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issue of entitlement to an increased rating for systemic sarcoidosis and OSA.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there is no current diagnosis and no evidence of treatment. The primary issue was whether the Veteran had a current disability (sleep apnea) related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc and degenerative arthritis is remanded. The claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of radiculopathies of the lower extremities are also remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims due to incomplete records and the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's TBI residuals are rated at 30 percent, and service connection for a psychiatric disorder (to include anxiety and depression) is granted. Service connection for diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, lumbar DDD, cervical DDD, right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right eye vision loss are denied.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims due to incomplete records and a need for an addendum opinion regarding his anxiety disorder.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hip disabilities, left and right knee disabilities, and peripheral neuropathy due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by his military service. The issues of service connection for bilateral foot disabilities, sleep apnea, and seizure disorder are remanded as they are inextricably intertwined with the above claims.