Sleep apnea decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and review, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea had its onset during service and is granted. The Board also found that the Veteran has right knee, ankle, and foot disorders, a right wrist condition (including ganglion cyst and carpal tunnel syndrome), hemorrhoids, a scar on his thigh, and residuals of skin cancer of the left cheek/nose, all related to service.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a finding of onset during active duty or causation by service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted a disability rating of 40 percent for the Veteran's lumbosacral spine disability, effective from September 15, 1999. The decision is based on severe limitation of motion of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's current sleep apnea is related to his service, and a VA examination is needed to determine if it is at least as likely as not caused by an in-service injury or event.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including lumbosacral spine disability with associated radiculopathy, cervical spine disability with associated radiculopathy, chronic sinusitis, epigastric disability, right zygomatic arch disability, and left shoulder disability. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in service or related to service.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is rated at 40 percent since February 20, 2015. The issue of service connection for sleep apnea is remanded due to inadequate opinions in the June 2019 VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, including sleep apnea and pneumonia residuals, is being remanded due to the need for further medical examination.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain prior to March 17, 2016 was rated at 10 percent and the Board found no evidence of more severe limitation of motion or ankylosis warranting a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum retrospective medical opinion to assess the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis prior to November 8, 2017 and currently. The Veteran is seeking increased ratings for his low back disability.

The claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea has been reopened and remanded due to the submission of new evidence. The Board found that the Veteran's statements regarding in-service occurrences of snoring, as well as his wife's statement about him having loud and irregular breathing during sleep, raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that it is less likely than not directly related to service or caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lumbosacral strain. The claim will be reconsidered after a VA examination is conducted.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's sleep apnea claim and for an addendum opinion on whether his current condition is related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began during his period of active military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability, neck disability, and hypertension were previously denied. New evidence has reopened the claims for these conditions, but not for hypertension.,Service connection was granted for sleep apnea as secondary to major depressive disorder, and headaches as secondary to major depressive disorder.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is being remanded for a new VA examination to determine if it was aggravated by his service-connected pleural lung disease with COPD.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates for various service-connected conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, sleep apnea, nerve problems (to include left side paralysis), and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The appeals are dismissed as without legal merit.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as the evidence did not establish a link between in-service symptoms and current condition.

The Board has remanded the cases due to new evidence being submitted, including VA treatment records and examination reports. The Veteran is asked to provide information about any additional healthcare providers who have treated him for these conditions.