Sleep apnea decisions — 2019

The Veteran's service in the Oklahoma Army National Guard and Oklahoma Air National Guard resulted in no time on Federal active duty. The Board found that there is no evidence of an in-service event, injury or disease for his claimed disabilities.,The Veteran was denied service connection for sleep apnea as there is no probative evidence establishing an 'in-service event' during active service and the current disability may not be related to any alleged in-service event.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of sleep apnea, finding that it did not have its onset during service and is not causally related to any disease or injury incurred in service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for headaches, rhinitis/sinusitis, low back disorder, bilateral knee disorder, bilateral shoulder disorder, right elbow disorder, and chest pain. Service connection has also been denied for hyperlipidemia.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for initial evaluations in excess of 20 percent for his left shoulder disorder, back disorder, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, and sleep apnea due to incomplete development and need for additional medical evidence.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, as records are missing or incomplete. The Veteran's sleep apnea and prostate cancer claims will be reconsidered in light of any new evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for depression, headaches, and sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus, depression, and medication use. Service connection was denied for left knee disorder, right knee disorder, colon cancer, skin cancer, diabetes mellitus, and erectile dysfunction.

The Board has denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and remanded the issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder is denied as there is no evidence linking his current condition to his military service, specifically relationship problems during service.

The Board granted a 60 percent rating for prostate cancer residuals from March 30, 2017. Service connection was granted for hypertension as secondary to diabetes and denied for sleep apnea.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error, requiring a new VA examination for the etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected PTSD, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea is aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

Service connection is granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder, right knee disorder, and sleep apnea. Service connection is denied for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The case is REMANDED to obtain a medical opinion regarding the etiology of GERD.

The Board has granted an effective date of January 12, 2018 for the Veteran's claim for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected PTSD. The decision is based on the Veteran filing a complete claim within one year of indicating his desire to file such a claim.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a deficiency in the duty to assist, specifically regarding the lack of an opinion on whether the Veteran's sleep apnea had onset during active service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for lumbosacral strain, left hip strain, allergic rhinitis, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), chronic bronchitis, and pneumonia due to inadequate rationale in the previous VA examination.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain addendum opinions from a VA examiner regarding service connection for anemia, sleep apnea/chronic sleep disturbance disability, and TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for sleep apnea has been reopened, but service connection is still denied.,The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened, but service connection is still denied.,The Veteran's claim for neck pain disability has been reopened, but service connection is still denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were reopened for sleep apnea, but denied for bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, and bilateral foot condition. The claim for service connection for sleep apnea was remanded due to insufficient evidence on the secondary nature of the condition.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected depressive disorder. The decision is based on new evidence received since the last final denial of these claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it did not onset in service and is not etiologically related to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset and relationship to his military service. The case is sent back for additional development, including a VA examination.