Sleep apnea decisions — 2021

The Board has decided that service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is granted. However, the decision on bilateral plantar fasciitis with right heel spur is remanded due to insufficient reasoning and evidence.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not causally related to her military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and TDIU due to incomplete employment history provided by the Veteran, conflicting dates of employment, and need for an addendum opinion regarding obesity and its relation to PTSD.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for lumbosacral spine disorder with DDD is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess functional loss during flare-ups and repeated use.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional records and a VA examination to determine if the Veteran has obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and whether it is related to service.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for OSA, IBS, and Fibromyalgia due to lack of a VA examination opinion on these claims. The Veteran's sleep apnea may have been incurred directly during service or be secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and a 70 percent disability rating for dysthymic disorder, finding that the Veteran's symptoms meet the criteria for these conditions. The decision also grants TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension, to include as secondary to OSA due to a lack of VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his service connection claims, specifically sleep apnea. The Board finds that the Veteran has provided credible and competent evidence of current sleep apnea and in-service symptoms, warranting a VA examination to determine if there is a relationship between the two.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and bilateral hammer toes, finding that the Veteran's conditions had onset in service or are related to his service-connected condition (bilateral pes planus).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and lack of in-service treatment records. The VA will obtain additional evidence and provide new examinations to determine if the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain and degenerative joint disease due to a lack of adequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between current low back disabilities and military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and his service-connected conditions, including PTSD, asthma, chronic bronchitis, and reactive airway dysfunction syndrome.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and readjudication due to insufficient examination reports and additional evidence added since the last decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that his condition was not incurred in or related to military service and was not caused by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a breathing disability, including asthma and obstructive sleep apnea, finding no evidence of a causal relationship between his current conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, but the Board finds that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they are more closely approximated by a 50 percent disability rating.,The Veteran's lumbar spine DDD is currently rated at 20 percent. The Board finds that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they are more closely approximated by the current 20 percent disability rating.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate evidence and will require a supplemental medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is proximately caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, as well as whether obesity serves as an intermediate step between his sleep apnea and service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for an increased rating of lumbosacral strain with DDD prior to December 3, 2008 and for entitlement to a TDIU effective prior to October 1, 2008 due to inextricably intertwined issues. The Veteran needs a retrospective medical opinion regarding his service-connected lumbar spine disability.