Sleep apnea decisions — 2018

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to be at least as likely as not related to his service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is remanded for a VA examination to determine if it had its onset during service or is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in a previous VA spine examination and for obtaining updated treatment records. The Veteran is scheduled for an examination to determine if his lumbosacral spine disability is related to active service.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain VA treatment records and conduct an examination for service connection of OSA and RLS, as the current opinion is inadequate.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), finding that there was no evidence of a direct relationship between OSA and PTSD, and that VA treatment records did not support a secondary relationship.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD, but this is denied.,Service connection for sleep apnea secondary to PTSD is granted.,Ratings in excess of 10 percent are remanded for patellofemoral syndrome of both knees and hypertension.,Ratings in excess of 20 percent are remanded for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and radiculopathy of both upper extremities.,TDIU is also remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination for her left lumbosacral plexopathy and for obtaining private medical records related to her scoliosis.

The Veteran's applications to reopen claims of service connection for a heart disorder and sleep apnea are granted. The Board finds that the existing record triggers VA’s duty to provide the Veteran with VA examinations to obtain needed etiology opinions, and remands the cases for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete development and need for additional examinations. The issues include diabetic neuropathy, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, chest pain (coronary artery disease), chronic fatigue, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various sized growths on his body.

The Board has granted the Veteran's application to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and has determined that he is entitled to this benefit based on direct evidence of a current disability, continuity of symptomatology since service, and competent lay testimony.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began during his active duty and resolving doubt in favor of the claim.

The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome of the right and left lower extremities. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD) is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding a verified in-service stressor. The claim for service connection for prostate cancer as secondary to herbicide exposure is also remanded due to lack of information on alleged exposures in Puerto Rico.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the severity of his disability, as previous examinations did not meet the requirements set by Correia v. McDonald.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings of his service-connected CRSD and PTSD, right ankle osteoarthritis, status post avulsion fracture, and right ankle scars have been granted. However, the specific rating assigned is not provided in this decision.

The Board finds that remand is warranted due to the lack of a medical opinion addressing whether sleep apnea was directly incurred in service and because there are outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected sleep apnea and related conditions render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a TDIU effective March 8, 2013.

Service connection is granted for lumbosacral strain and PTSD/MDD. The issue of service connection for a bilateral eye condition remains pending.

The Board has remanded the issues of a rating in excess of 40 percent for the Veteran’s lumbosacral spine disability and entitlement to TDIU for the period prior to June 1, 2015 due to inadequate VA examination and missing treatment records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for retinitis pigmentosa, finding that there was clear and unmistakable evidence that the condition pre-existed his active service and was not aggravated by it.

The Board has remanded the claims for secondary service connection for rosacea and ED, as well as the claim for service connection for residuals of status post fracture of the zygomatic arch other than headaches due to lack of adequate examination opinions.