Sleep apnea decisions — 2019

The Veteran's service connection claim for sleep apnea is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine its etiology.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to service or his service-connected insomnia disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development regarding his claims of service connection for a left knee disability, bilateral foot disability (plantar fasciitis), and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates have been remanded due to the need for further development. The hypertension claim is still under consideration.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension. The claims for right ear hearing loss and sleep apnea (claimed as secondary to hypertension) are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected left testicular cyst is being remanded for further examination and evaluation.,Service connection for sleep apnea and a sleep disorder other than sleep apnea are also being remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is at least as likely as not related to his period of active duty service, and therefore grants service connection for OSA.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations. The claims for increased disability ratings are also being remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates for his service-connected tinnitus, but has remanded several other issues including service connection for various conditions. The Veteran is also required to provide authorization for VA to obtain certain medical records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or that any diagnosed condition began in service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was also denied due to the lack of evidence showing the presence of a current disability.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's sleep apnea may be service connected as secondary to his service-connected right knee disability, but needs further clarification on whether it is also related to his service-connected allergic rhinitis. The case is being sent back for a new medical opinion.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petitions to reopen his claims for service connection for right shoulder and right knee disabilities. However, these claims are still pending as they have been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for eczema, sleep apnea, and low back muscle strain due to insufficient evidence in some areas. The Veteran is to be provided with VA examinations to determine if his conditions are related to service.

The Board has reopened the claim for left ankle disorder and granted service connection. Service connection was denied for fibromyalgia, muscle twitches, chronic fatigue syndrome, allergic rhinitis, sinus headaches, sleep disorder (obstructive sleep apnea), functional gastrointestinal disorder (chronic diarrhea), and erectile dysfunction.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, hypertension, sleep apnea, and idiopathic hypersomnia (claimed as narcolepsy) secondary to his service-connected asbestosis. The VA is instructed to obtain all outstanding records and provide addendum opinions addressing the etiology of each condition.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for GERD and sleep apnea (secondary to sinusitis) is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions. The case will be reopened for GERD, but the issues of service connection for both conditions are still pending.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's diagnosed sleep apnea is associated with his service-connected PTSD, and thus grants the claim for service connection for sleep apnea secondary to PTSD.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran's current disabilities are being remanded for further examination and analysis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea had its onset during active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected bronchial asthma/COPD. The VA examiner needs to provide an opinion on both the direct relationship and aggravation of the conditions.