Sleep apnea decisions — 2018

The Veteran's appeal is about the effective date for his service connection for sleep apnea, which was granted in April 2014. The decision is remanded due to a scheduling issue with a DRO hearing.

The Board denied service connection for low back disability, sleep apnea, bilateral knee disability, hypertension, and acid reflux (gastroesophageal reflux disease) due to lack of current diagnoses in the record.

The Veteran's previously denied claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is reopened, and the appeal is granted. The Board finds that new evidence received since the last denial raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has decided to remand twelve service connection claims for additional development, including obtaining missing service treatment records and verifying the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents. The remaining fourteen issues were previously denied in a November 2014 rating decision and require issuance of a statement of the case.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support a link between his current condition and active duty service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a sleep disorder, including obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability related to active duty.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disorder, right knee disorder, and secondary service connection for a right lower extremity disorder. The conditions are found to be related to in-service injuries.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder, lumbosacral spine, cervical spine, and right knee disabilities, as well as bilateral hearing loss and obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran's claims were not supported by the evidence of record.

The Veteran's service-connected unspecified anxiety disorder is rated at 70 percent, effective from the date of his claim. The Board also granted TDIU benefits.

The Board has remanded the cases of obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension for additional development due to insufficient medical opinions provided in previous examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and remanded the issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for various conditions have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a grant of service connection or an increase in disability rating.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. Therefore, the claim for secondary service connection for OSA is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination regarding the Veteran's sleep apnea. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered after the examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and an increased rating for his right shoulder disability due to incomplete examinations, lack of recent treatment records, and need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for his service-connected lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine and intervertebral disc syndrome is remanded due to recent worsening symptoms and need for updated VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as claustrophobia and generalized anxiety disorder), and hypertension due to exposure to environmental hazards in the Gulf War. The claims are being returned for additional examinations.

The Veteran's sleep apnea with CPAP is granted as service connection, and the Board finds it at least as likely as not that his sleep apnea had its onset during his active duty service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right elbow pain and sleep apnea as there is no current diagnosis for either condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, right hip disorder, and sleep disorder to include obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to incomplete records of his military service.