Sleep apnea decisions — 2019

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to be secondary to his service-connected sinusitis and/or allergic rhinitis.,The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is found to have been incurred in service.

The Veteran's spouse requires regular aid and attendance due to multiple health conditions, including fibromyalgia, lumbosacral strain, cervicalgia, lower extremity radicular pain, right shoulder osteoarthritis, COPD, and anxiety disorder. The Board granted the claim for aid and attendance special monthly compensation (SMC) for care of the Veteran’s spouse.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to have started during his active service and is aggravated by his service-connected PTSD. Service connection for OSA on a direct basis is granted.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and PTSD. The Veteran is also seeking a higher rating for his PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination or addendum to determine if the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD.

The Board has granted service connection for allergic rhinitis and sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for back pain and left knee conditions were denied in a March 1996 rating decision. The effective date of the grant of service connection is November 7, 2013, which was the date he submitted an informal claim to reopen his previously denied claims.

The Board denied service connection for OSA and Right Hand/Wrist Disorder, finding no evidence to support the claims.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) based on the condition being aggravated by a service-connected deviated nasal septum.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hip disability, right knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and obstructive sleep apnea. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has decided to remand the issues of entitlement to service connection for breathing disability (now characterized as sleep apnea), heart disability, hypertension, and liver disability due to outstanding VA treatment records that may contain relevant diagnoses.

The Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea is granted as the condition had its onset during his military service and is directly related to it.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea should be remanded due to insufficient rationale in the previous VA opinion and need for further examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to his service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine, higher initial rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy, and ratings for left lower extremity radiculopathies. The Veteran is also being asked to complete a VA Form 21-8940 to address his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for anxiety disorder and obstructive sleep apnea has been granted. The claim for PTSD remains at a 30 percent rating, while the hypertension claim is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a VA examination to quantify the functional impairment of his service-connected low back disability during flare-ups, and for obtaining updated treatment records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it is not related to his service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for a separate rating for bilateral plantar fasciitis, service connection for a left shoulder disorder, and service connection for sleep apnea are remanded due to new evidence added since the April 2016 SOC.