Sleep apnea decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a sleep disorder are remanded due to the need for additional development, including verification of stressors and VA examinations.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim of service connection for PTSD is granted, but his request for an effective date earlier than December 2, 2016, for a higher disability rating remains denied.,The Veteran's petitions to reopen claims for various knee disorders are remanded and will be addressed by the RO in accordance with the instructions provided.,The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for hypertension is granted, but his request for an earlier effective date remains denied.,The Veteran's petitions to reopen claims for various neurological conditions are remanded and will be addressed by the RO in accordance with the instructions provided.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it is aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

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

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as there is no evidence of its onset during active service and it is not related to any in-service injury or disease.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection due to new evidence showing worsening of his cervical spine, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and status post cervical surgery scar conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to inadequate rationale provided by the VA examiner and insufficient evidence regarding when the disability began during active duty.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea and PTSD, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability related to military service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right shoulder condition, right knee condition, sleep apnea, and migraine headaches.

The Board has denied an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain with spondylolisthesis L5-S1. The claims for service connection for arthritis of the hands, legs (to include knees), and feet are remanded due to lack of a VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to his service-connected coronary artery disease, which could affect the determination of secondary service connection.

The Veteran's asthma is rated at 60 percent since March 12, 2019. The Board denied a higher rating for his asthma and also denied service connection for sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for esophagitis and sleep apnea as they are related to his service-connected TMJ. The VA examiner is requested to provide an opinion on whether these conditions are at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea requires the use of a CPAP machine, resulting in an initial rating of 50 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have diagnosed conditions for which service connection can be granted, including shoulder, wrist, lower extremity neuropathy, back, knee, leg, foot, respiratory system, sleep apnea, heart, corns of both feet, headaches and neck conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypogonadism and sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is intertwined with the service connection issues.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition to include chest pains, claiming it is secondary to service-connected sarcoidosis. The claims for fatigue (secondary to radiation enteritis), sleep apnea (secondary to PTSD), and penile shortening (secondary to prostate cancer) are remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claims for sleep apnea and fatigue due to environmental exposure in the Persian Gulf are denied.,Service connection cannot be awarded on a presumptive basis as the Veteran’s complaints of fatigue have been attributed to known clinical diagnoses; namely, depression and osteoarthritis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for upper back disability, sleep apnea, chronic fatigue, and residuals of Guillain-Barre Syndrome. The Board found no current disabilities in these areas.

The Veteran's OSA with asthma is currently rated at 50 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available.,Given his service-connected disabilities, including OSA and asthma, the Board has granted a TDIU.