Sleep apnea decisions — 2019

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for ischemic heart disease was dismissed.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims of service connection for a right knee disability, upper and lower back disability, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).,The Veteran's claim for TDIU is remanded as it has not yet been addressed.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for chest pain and hypertension due to a failure to issue a Statement of the Case (SOC).,Service connection is denied for right CTS, left CTS, and OSA.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues include right ankle disability, bilateral foot disabilities, obstructive sleep apnea, and acquired psychiatric disabilities.

The Board has determined that there is not enough evidence to support a finding that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is related to his service or service-connected low back injury, and thus denied the claim.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it was incurred during the Veteran's active duty and is secondary to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cardiovascular and respiratory disabilities, attributing them to exposure to burn pits during service in Southwest Asia. The case requires additional medical examination and records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of obesity, and therefore, his claim for service connection is denied. The diabetes mellitus, Sjorgen's syndrome, erectile dysfunction, gallstones, GERD, diverticulitis, thyroid disease, diastasis of muscle, BPH, sleep apnea, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and bilateral eye disabilities are all remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of major depressive disorder is granted as secondary to his generalized anxiety disorder. The earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for generalized anxiety disorder is set at September 13, 2012. Other claims are remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for the loss of left leg due to lipomyxosarcoma of the proximal left tibia, finding that there was no evidence linking the condition to in-service exposure to ionizing radiation and concluding that the Veteran's claim lacked merit.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the lumbosacral spine is being remanded due to a lack of recent VA treatment records and the need for further examination.

The Board has decided that a VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea began during service and whether it is related to any in-service events or exposures.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected grand mal epilepsy, finding that there is no evidence of a causal relationship between the two conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was incurred in service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's requests to reopen service connection claims for various conditions were denied. The Board also remanded several issues, including a low back disability rating and hypertension rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's lay statements regarding his sleep apnea and its onset during service. A new examination is needed to determine if the sleep apnea is related to service, whether it was caused by hypertension, or if it was aggravated by hypertension.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between his disabilities and his service-connected unspecified trauma and stressor-related disorder. The Veteran is also required to provide additional records from J.B., a medical professional, who provided research indicating a relationship between his disabilities and his service-connected condition.

Service connection for DDD of the lumbosacral spine was denied as there is no evidence linking it to service. The Veteran's current diagnosis of DDD is not shown to be related to his active duty service.,Bipolar I disorder with moderate mania and limitation of flexion, extension, and abduction of the left hip were granted effective January 30, 2014, as these conditions are considered directly related to his service. The Veteran's earlier claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left shoulder and left elbow disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there was no direct or secondary service connection. The Board also found that the Veteran did not have continuous symptomatology of sleep apnea since service.