Sleep apnea decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and fairly consider the Veteran's claims, including for service connection and increased rating issues. The Veteran will need updated VA examinations and verification of his Reserve duty periods.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for myalgias, bilateral hearing loss disability, PTSD, a lumbosacral spine disability, and an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD (major depressive disorder) have been denied. The Board found no current disabilities due to the claimed conditions or incidents of service.

The Board has granted service connection for depression and obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected status-post pilonidal cyst with open scar. The Veteran also received an increased rating of 20% for his status-post pilonidal cyst with open scar.

The Board denied service connection for Tolosa-Hunt syndrome and its associated symptoms (headaches, double vision, gunner’s ear) as there is no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The appeal is remanded due to incomplete records and the need for a supplemental opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea.

The appeal seeking to reopen a claim for entitlement to service connection for a low back disability is granted. The Veteran's claim of service connection for a low back disability is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for muscle spasms of the low back, blurred vision due to cataracts (now claimed as dry eyes), sleep apnea, hypertension, and benign neoplasms of the heart were all denied. The denial was based on a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease was granted after it was determined that there was clear and unmistakable error in a previous rating decision.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, but remanded the issue of entitlement to a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU) on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea. The appeal regarding prostate cancer was dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is caused or aggravated by his service-connected Graves' disease and hypothyroidism, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided that the issue of service connection for sleep apnea needs to be further investigated and remanded due to lack of a medical opinion linking the condition to service.

The Veteran's sleep apnea and tonsil hypertrophy were not found to be service-connected due to lack of evidence. The bilateral metamorphopsia was rated as noncompensable, and the erectile dysfunction did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and tonsil hypertrophy were denied because there is no evidence that these conditions began during his military service or are otherwise related to his service. The bilateral metamorphopsia was rated as noncompensable due to visual acuity not meeting the criteria for a compensable rating, and the erectile dysfunction did not meet the criteria for a 20% rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, including for right knee meniscal tear and degenerative changes, left knee meniscal tear and degenerative changes, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, nervous disorder (presumed secondary to musculoskeletal problems), and sleep apnea (secondary to obesity).

The Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea was denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to his active service. The Veteran's PTSD claim was granted with a 70% evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is aggravated by his service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder, and thus grants service connection for this condition as secondary to PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, but only partially. Service connection is established for obstructive sleep apnea and anxiety disorder. Bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities are not service-connected.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is being remanded for additional medical opinions to determine if it is caused or aggravated by his service-connected non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, PTSD, or both.

The Board has granted service connection for low back disability and obstructive sleep apnea. The issues of bilateral pes planus, chronic fatigue syndrome, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are being remanded for further development.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain (claimed as a low back condition) and granted it, finding that there is sufficient evidence to establish service connection due to chronic lower back pain noted during active duty.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depression has been rated at 70 percent since March 26, 2015. Effective May 10, 2012, the Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent.,Effective March 26, 2015, but no earlier, the Veteran is entitled to a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.