Sleep apnea decisions — 2019

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death due to liposarcoma, finding that there was no evidence linking the Veteran's liposarcoma to his military service and denying any exposure to herbicide agents. The Board also found that the Veteran did not have a diagnosis of liposarcoma during service or within one year after discharge.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and remanded the issue of an initial compensable rating for cervical dysplasia with bacterial vaginosis.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for sleep apnea and remanded the remaining claims due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's PTSD and adjustment disorder are also being reviewed, but a VA examination is needed.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of private medical expenses at a non-VA facility is being remanded because the treatment was related to his service-connected lumbosacral spine condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, restrictive lung disease and dyspnea on exertion (previously claimed as shortness of breath), and obstructive sleep apnea have all been denied. The Board found that the current conditions are not related to active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, the relationship between his sleep apnea and service, and the nature and etiology of his PTSD are being remanded due to incomplete evaluations.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, cervical spine disorder, thoracolumbar spine disorder, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, muscle spasms, sleep apnea, and hypertension.,No new evidence was presented to reopen previously denied claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and his service-connected disabilities. The Veteran needs a new examination to determine if his current sleep apnea is related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis did not begin in service and is not causally related to her service-connected right maxillary sinusitis with chronic rhinitis and headache. The Board also found that the sinusitis did not cause or worsen the sleep apnea.

The Veteran's OSA requires the use of a CPAP machine and was not properly rated by the RO under the criteria pertaining to secondary service connection and aggravation. The Board finds that an initial compensable rating (50%) is warranted for OSA.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims to reopen for service connection of migraine headaches, cervical spine disability, right shoulder disability, and obstructive sleep apnea. The claims are remanded for further examination regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded several claims for additional development, including obtaining medical records and verifying the Veteran's service stressors. The claims of service connection for various conditions are also being considered.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease has been granted an increased rating to 40 percent, which is the highest schedular rating available for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and sleep apnea as the evidence did not show a link to active duty service.

The claim for an earlier effective date for fatty liver associated with DMII is denied.,The claim for a higher evaluation for fatty liver associated with DMII is denied. The Veteran does not have any compensable symptoms of fatty liver.

The appeal on the claim of entitlement to service connection for IBS is dismissed. Entitlement to a higher initial rating for GERD, currently evaluated at 10 percent, is granted. The issue of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea, to include as secondary to service connected disabilities, is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's sleep apnea and his service, including exposure to burn pits during deployment.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for an addendum opinion regarding the relationship between the appellant's service-connected nasal septum and his obstructive sleep apnea.