Sleep apnea decisions — 2021

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a 70 percent rating prior to November 18, 2017. The petition to reopen the service connection for sinusitis and rhinitis is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and need for additional medical opinions. The issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, OSA, a respiratory disability, bilateral knee disabilities, and a back disability are all being remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disability, to include sleep apnea; a liver disability; and a heart disability. The evidence does not establish current diagnoses of these conditions.

The Veteran's service connection for OSA and TDIU prior to November 3, 2016 is denied as there is no evidence of a direct link between his service-connected asthma with COPD and the development or worsening of OSA. The Veteran was found unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of service connection for sleep apnea.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for gallbladder removal, sleep apnea, and back disorder. As a result, the Board has dismissed these issues.

The Veteran's request for a higher disability rating for his service-connected sleep apnea and asthmatic bronchitis is denied. The discontinuance of the separate 30 percent rating for asthmatic bronchitis due to CUE in the June 2008 rating decision is also denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU as his service-connected disabilities, in combination, did not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence linking his current disability to his active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine and intervertebral disc syndrome with lumbosacral radiculitis and spinal stenosis, finding that it is etiologically related to the Veteran's in-service back injury. The issues of service connection for residuals of a cold weather injury of the bilateral upper and lower extremities are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including his hearing loss disability, low back disability, sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, and associated neuropathy. The Veteran will need to undergo additional examinations to determine the current severity of his hearing loss, the nature and etiology of his low back disability, and the relationship between his sleep apnea and chemical exposure during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea likely began during his active duty service and is therefore granted as a result of service connection.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral eye disability, psychiatric disability, and sleep apnea. The Veteran's current disabilities were not shown to have had their onset in service or within one year of separation from service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has determined that new and material evidence was submitted to support his claims of a back disability, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, bilateral shoulder disabilities, OSA, and headaches. The claim for vitamin D deficiency is denied as it does not constitute a recognized disability for VA compensation purposes.

The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, finding that the condition began during active service and is related to service.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability and the rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected left knee patellofemoral syndrome, but granted a separate 10 percent disability rating for instability of the left knee from May 23, 2012.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's in-service experiences in Vietnam are related to his current condition.,Service connection for a low back disorder and acid reflux and sleep apnea secondary to PTSD have also been granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran, including personal statements and articles regarding exposure to Agent Orange in Korea.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to insufficient evidence regarding his claimed conditions and their relationship to service. The claims include service connection for left calf, knee, lumbosacral spine, lower extremity radiculopathy, and any acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD.

The Veteran's GERD and insomnia were denied as service connection was not established due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.,Service connection for spinal stenosis, sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, and headaches (migraines) is remanded as the Board found the provided medical opinions inadequate.