Sleep apnea decisions — 2020

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis.

The Board has denied service connection for OSA, but remanded the issues of service connection for headaches and vascular neurocognitive disorder with depressive features, both secondary to service-connected tinnitus.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding a link to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability.

The Board remands the matter of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea, to include as a manifestation of a Persian Gulf War-related illness and/or as secondary to service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), for further development.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant, and no jurisdiction remains for the Board to adjudicate the merits of the case.

The Veteran's sleep apnea was found to have started during service, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, colon cancer, COPD, heart disability, sleep apnea, peptic ulcer, hydrocele, type II diabetes mellitus, urothelial cancer (claimed as bladder cancer), cervical spine disability, peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, right knee disability, and left knee disability. The cause of death claim is also remanded.

The Board granted service connection for a back disorder and reopened the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, anxiety, and adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depression. The remaining claims were denied.

The Veteran's lumbosacral spondylolisthesis and spondylosis of the lumbosacral spine have been granted a compensable initial rating (10%) effective May 13, 2011.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and failure to address certain aspects of the Veteran's claim, including his service treatment records and his contentions about snoring and breathing problems during sleep.

The Board has determined that remand is necessary due to inadequate medical opinions and the need for additional evidence. The Veteran's OSA may have had its onset in service, but there is insufficient evidence to determine if it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sleep apnea and hypertension due to issues with the addendum opinions provided. The Veteran's sleep apnea may or may not be caused by his service-connected asthma, and the hypertension claim is also inextricably intertwined with the sleep apnea issue.

The Board has denied a higher rating for PTSD and has remanded the issue of service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea, specifically whether it is related to service or secondary to his service-connected PTSD with claustrophobia.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, finding that his OSA was aggravated by his diabetes.

The Board has denied service connection for a bilateral hand condition and remanded the issues of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and shin splints.

The Board has remanded the claims for an extraschedular rating for lumbosacral strain and a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The back claim is being remanded for a medical opinion on whether the dizziness experienced by the Veteran is related to his medication for the service-connected condition, or if it represents a separate disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, bladder condition, and left ear hearing loss due to incomplete medical opinions and new evidence.

The Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is granted as the evidence shows that he had symptoms of OSA in service and after, which continued.