Sleep apnea decisions — 2021

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart condition, bilateral knee disorder, and right foot disorder. The claims are being remanded to obtain missing records from March 1980 and to provide an addendum medical opinion regarding the nature and origin of these conditions.

A 40 percent rating for lumbosacral strain is granted effective July 13, 2015.,Ratings in excess of 10 percent for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy are denied prior to June 20, 2019. A 20 percent rating is granted from June 20, 2019.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is causally related to his military service and grants service connection for lumbosacral degenerative disc disease.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea due to conflicting opinions regarding its onset and relationship to his military service. The case is returned for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives and a need for a new VA medical opinion.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a back disability and sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's lay statements and medical studies are considered, but further development is needed to verify his service in Southwest Asia.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder, including COPD, and obstructive sleep apnea due to inadequate VA medical opinions.

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

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and right ankle sprain have been granted service connection, while the claim for increased rating of sinusitis has been denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is aggravated by his service-connected PTSD. The Veteran needs to undergo a VA examination and provide updated medical opinions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his active duty service. The Board also found that the Veteran’s obesity was not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate January 2021 VA opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected obstructive sleep apnea and his hypertension. The examiner is asked to provide a rationale for any negative etiology opinion, considering the August 2018 private medical opinion.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development and opinion regarding the Veteran's sleep apnea, including its relation to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset of OSA during service. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered after verifying his periods of active duty and obtaining a VA medical opinion.

The Veteran's spinal stenosis with degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine with intervertebral disc syndrome is rated at 40 percent effective June 18, 2019. The rating for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity remains denied.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea with chest pain and breathing difficulties, secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Board has withdrawn the issues of increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The claim for service connection for a low back disability is being remanded due to new evidence received in March 2021. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder with anxious distress, moderate-severe with psychotic features, anxiety, dysthymic disorder, and an adjustment disorder, has been granted. The issues of service connection for migraines, low back disability, and obstructive sleep apnea are being remanded.

The Veteran's lumbosacral spine strain is currently rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted as there was no ankylosis or neurologic abnormalities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional verification of his exposure to herbicide agents and further examination for heart conditions.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral degenerative disc disease and denied a TDIU, finding that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable.