Sleep apnea decisions — 2018

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lung condition, chronic fatigue syndrome, acid reflux disease, gastrointestinal problems, allergic rhinitis, sleep apnea, and Type II diabetes mellitus due to lack of evidence of current disabilities or causal relationship to service. The cases are remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and an increased rating for his back disability due to incomplete VA examinations and conflicting evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is due to his service-connected PTSD and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for fibromyalgia, sleep apnea, irritable bowel syndrome, and an undiagnosed Gulf War illness due to lack of a current diagnosis in the record.,Service connection was not granted as there is no evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of his lumbar spine, bilateral knee disabilities, and their impact on employment.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection of neck condition, bilateral hearing disability, sleep apnea, stomach tear (Mallory Weiss tear), collapsed arches, and heat exhaustion residuals. The remaining issues are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current diagnosis of sleep apnea and his military service or service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for various conditions, including obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, basal cell carcinoma, diabetes mellitus, adrenal gland tumor, and primary aldosteronism. The remand requires further examination to determine if these conditions are related to exposure to herbicides during active service.

The petition to reopen the previously denied service connection claim for a lumbar spine disability is granted. Service connection for a cervical spine disability and sleep apnea are denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and headaches are related to his service. However, due to the dishonorable period of service from August 2008 to April 2012, these conditions cannot be directly linked to this period. The Board has therefore ordered a remand for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is rated at 20 percent since August 25, 2017. The appeal for a higher rating is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain is currently rated at 40 percent, but the Board finds that he does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as there are no documented incapacitating episodes of intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) lasting six weeks or more in the past year.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep apnea, tinnitus, and PTSD, as well as an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss. The effective dates for these decisions were not granted.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for back disability. The remaining claims of secondary service connection for hypertension, eye disability, stomach condition, and sleep apnea are remanded due to lack of a medical opinion addressing these issues.

The Board has denied service connection for a neck disorder, asthma, and sleep apnea. The decision is mixed as some issues were granted (neck disorder) while others were denied (asthma and sleep apnea). Service connection was decided on the merits in all cases.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, including consideration of whether it is related to his service-connected PTSD and/or diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity do not render him unemployable for substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle disability and reopened the claim of entitlement to service connection for a left knee disability. The Veteran's right ankle disability is found to be related to his active duty service. Service connection for joint pain, intestinal disability, skin disability, and sleep apnea are also granted.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for left inguinal hernia, right ankle disability, and sleep apnea. The rating for sinus arrhythmia is restored to 30 percent effective December 1, 2014.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension, but has remanded the cases of cervical spine disability, low back disability, left hip disability, left knee disability, and acquired psychiatric disability.