Sleep apnea decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a prostate condition and obstructive sleep apnea are being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding exposure to herbicide agents in Korea, and the need for additional medical opinions on the etiology of his conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient evidence linking his testicular adenomatoid tumor and fractures of the left 5th metatarsal, as well as other conditions. The rating for residuals of fracture of the left 5th metatarsal remains at noncompensable prior to July 1, 2021.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied due to lack of evidence linking the claimed conditions to service. The claim for OSA was also denied as there is no current diagnosis.

The Board has granted service connection for hemorrhoids and a lumbar spine disability, diagnosed as lumbosacral strain, finding that the Veteran's conditions first manifested in service and are related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it was aggravated by the service-connected chronic sinusitis.

The Veteran's claims for cramping of the body, chronic pain also claimed as chronic multi symptom illness and sleep disturbances/insomnia are denied as they are considered manifestations of his service-connected fibromyalgia.,The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, left foot plantar fasciitis and right foot plantar fasciitis claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to service, including his reported symptoms in service and thereafter.

Service connection for headaches has been granted, but the issue is dismissed as moot because it was already decided in a previous rating decision. Service connection for sleep apnea is remanded due to insufficient evidence and incomplete development.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 20 percent for right shoulder disability was denied. The Board found the evidence did not show recurrent dislocation, fibrous union, nonunion, or loss of head of the humerus warranting a higher rating under DC 5202. Service connection for OSA is remanded due to incomplete STR records and lack of discussion in the April 2022 VA medical opinion.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to his service-connected and non-service-connected disabilities, including headaches, skin disability other than pseudofolliculitis barbae, right shoulder disability, sleep apnea, degenerative arthritis of the knees, and left ligament sprain. The Board has determined that these issues require further examination and opinion.

The Board has decided that there is insufficient evidence to determine the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea and remands the case for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is granted, and his claim for an increased evaluation of chronic fatigue syndrome is remanded.

The Veteran's low back disability, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, nocturnal clenching/bruxism and TMJ syndrome, and PTSD are all rated at the maximum allowable under VA regulations. The Board has granted increased ratings for some conditions but denied others.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional medical opinions to determine the severity of his service-connected depressed frontal sinus fracture and the etiology of his obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration of all evidence submitted since the last supplemental statement of the case.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding no link between the condition and in-service events. The PTSD claim was remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's recurrent sleep disability, including obstructive sleep apnea, is remanded for further evaluation. The lumbar spine and lower extremity radiculopathy claims are also remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his bilateral knee disabilities, lumbosacral spine disability, and anxiety disorder.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, claimed as secondary to PTSD, is remanded due to inadequate examination and need for an addendum opinion.