Sleep apnea decisions — 2018

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as it is at least as likely as not related to her military sexual traumas. The other conditions are denied due to lack of current diagnoses or no link to service.

Service connection for depressive disorder with anxiety is granted. Service connection for sleep apnea, headaches, and a neck disorder are denied. The rating for degenerative arthritis of the left shoulder remains remanded.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the other issues.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right wrist disability is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,The Veteran's claim for tinnitus is denied as there is no evidence linking it to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for a left ankle disability, but the claims of asthma and sleep apnea remain pending as they were not decided in this decision.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sinusitis and sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran's lay statements and buddy statements suggest potential service connection, but a VA examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection of a right lower leg disability, but the issues related to his lumbosacral strain, headache disability, right patellar enthesophyte (right knee condition), and increased rating for left knee chondromalacia remain remanded for further development.

The Veteran's hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea were both found to have onset during service, leading to their grant of service connection. The Board also granted remand for further examination on the left knee disability and pes planus with plantar fasciitis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence linking his current diagnosis to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset and cause. The Veteran's service treatment records show an elevation in his diaphragm, which could be related to obesity or other factors. The examiner is requested to provide a thorough opinion on whether the Veteran’s sleep apnea began during active duty, was caused by or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities (hypertension and diabetes mellitus type II), and if obesity played a role in causing or aggravating his condition.

The Veteran's claim to reopen a service connection for low back condition is granted. The issues of service connection for GERD, RLS, and sleep apnea are remanded. The issue of rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction, onychomycosis, and hypertension is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sleep apnea, hypertension, and numbness/tingling of the hands due to incomplete information in the VA examinations. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is rated at 20% prior to December 13, 2017 and at 40% thereafter. A separate 10% rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy from December 13, 2017 and a 20% rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy from October 10, 2012 are granted. Special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance is also granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional opinions regarding his low back condition, left shoulder injury, neck condition, and dizziness or balance issues.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and adjudication due to inadequate examination findings regarding the Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease involving L4-L5.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his service or if it is aggravated by his service-connected depression. The Veteran needs a VA examination to provide this information.

The Board denied a rating higher than 40 percent for the Veteran's low back disability on an extraschedular basis, finding that the available schedular ratings adequately described her disability picture.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected narcolepsy. The issue of reopening the claim for service connection for hypertension, which was previously denied in 2011 and remanded here, is also allowed.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's sleep apnea is not service-connected as secondary to his service-connected respiratory disorders and PTSD, and thus remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and remanded the issue of service connection for type II diabetes mellitus.