Sleep apnea decisions — 2022

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his service-connected disabilities or if it was caused by medications prescribed for those conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a sleep disorder, to include sleep apnea, has been reopened. Service connection is denied as there is no current diagnosis of sleep apnea or symptoms indicative of an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness. The Veteran's lumbosacral myositis and lumbar disc degeneration are currently rated at 20%.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new and material evidence having been received. The issues of service connection for various conditions are now pending.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service connected due to herbicide exposure.,Obstructive sleep apnea is granted as secondary to PTSD. The Veteran's RLE and LLE sciatic diabetic neuropathy are each rated at 20%.,Erectile dysfunction is not granted a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration. The Veteran's claims of a higher rating for low back disability and TDIU are being reviewed.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee strain and lumbosacral strain, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions were incurred or caused by service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequate opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's low back disorders and their relationship to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's sleep apnea was not found to be related to service-connected asthma or environmental hazards exposure, and thus denied.,The skin condition is presumed to be due to undiagnosed illness as it manifested during active duty in the Southwest Asia theater of operations.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether OSA is related to service and if PTSD has contributed to the Veteran's symptoms.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, a left foot disorder, sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus type II, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, osteoarthritis of the right knee, and recurrent subluxation of the right knee. The Board found no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has decided that further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to her service-connected psychiatric disability, and thus remands the case for additional examination and opinion.

The Veteran's appeal regarding his claim for service connection for sleep apnea has been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for a TDIU prior to July 3, 2017, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to his service-connected low back disability. The claims are being returned for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea disability is related to his service, specifically his exposure to hazardous air from burn pits during his service in Iraq. As a result, the claim for service connection for sleep apnea is granted.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea had onset during active service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected deviated septum.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus. The VA must obtain additional medical records and provide a supplemental medical opinion addressing causation and aggravation.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for alopecia has been withdrawn.,Service connection is granted for tinnitus and athlete's foot (tinea pedis).,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, obstructive sleep apnea, migraine headaches, and IBS are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for TB, an acquired psychiatric disorder, OSA, and a bilateral foot disorder are all denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or direct service connection.,Service connection for TB was denied due to the absence of active tuberculosis during service or within the presumptive period. The Veteran has latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), but no active disease.