Sleep apnea decisions — 2018

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea has been aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, and the Board grants secondary service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the cases due to insufficient evidence and the need for additional opinions regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to her service-connected asthma or PTSD.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and erectile dysfunction due to new evidence and need for further examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (sleep apnea, posttraumatic stress disorder, and tinnitus) rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board granted the claim for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability.

The Veteran's PTSD with schizoaffective disorder did not result in total occupational and social impairment prior to August 27, 2015. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating than 70 percent for PTSD.

The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for a groin disability is granted. The Board finds that the evidence received since the last final denial relates to unestablished facts necessary to substantiate the claim and raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim. However, further development is required due to outstanding VA treatment records and additional examination is needed.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including those for bilateral hip disability, shoulder and elbow disabilities, low back disability, neck disability with upper right extremity neuropathy, spine disability with joint degeneration, hearing loss, erectile dysfunction, staph infection, carpal tunnel syndrome, and sleep apnea. The remand also includes a request to obtain Social Security Administration records and an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea.

The Board has decided that further development is needed due to the inadequacy of the VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between sleep apnea and service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II and coronary artery disease. The Veteran's claim will be remanded for a new examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and information.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the claim for service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is claimed as secondary to his service-connected allergic rhinitis, chronic frontal sinusitis, and bronchial asthma.,Service connection for depression and hypertension have not been established due to a lack of current diagnoses.

The Board has denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, deviated septum, sleep apnea, right knee disability, and vasomotor rhinitis due to lack of a current diagnosis or evidence of in-service incurrence. The claims are remanded for additional development.

The Board has determined that additional VA examinations and medical opinions are needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, as well as whether her sleep apnea is related to or aggravated by her military service. The claims for service connection for plantar fasciitis and sleep apnea have also been remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for an addendum VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of his obstructive sleep apnea, which may be related or aggravated by his service-connected pansinusitis.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and depressive disorder NOS are found to be secondary to his service-connected disabilities, specifically his knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and her time in active service. The Veteran is seeking service connection for OSA, which she claims was present during her military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and a higher rating for PTSD are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent prior to July 22, 2015. The Board has granted a maximum schedular rating for the entire appeal period.

The Board has remanded the case for further action regarding the Veteran's entitlement to higher initial ratings for his service-connected sleep apnea with asthma.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disability, sleep apnea, and major depressive disorder due to incomplete records from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and inconsistent reports within the record regarding these conditions. The VA will need to obtain SSA records and schedule the Veteran for examinations to address inconsistencies in his diagnoses.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, increased ratings for his thoracolumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities, and a TDIU effective from December 9, 2010. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the Veteran’s current sleep apnea to his military service or any service-connected conditions.