Sleep apnea decisions — 2022

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining a copy of the Veteran's sleep study and providing an opinion on whether his sleep apnea is related to service or caused by his service-connected GERD and/or tinnitus.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for additional development due to scheduling issues with VA examinations. The main issues are determining if sleep apnea is related to service-connected PTSD and assessing the severity of his back disability.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, as secondary to his service-connected disabilities, should be remanded due to insufficient opinions regarding whether his weight gain and obesity are caused or aggravated by his service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it was not incurred or aggravated by active military service and is not otherwise related to a service-connected disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral foot disorder and a sleep disorder that includes obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, finding no evidence of such disorders beginning during active service or being related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, sleep apnea, hypertension, pemphigus foliaceous, diabetes, and hydronephrosis have been granted. The Board found that new evidence submitted by the Veteran established a relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to insufficient opinions regarding obesity and sleep apnea.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and gastrointestinal disability, finding no evidence of a current disability related to service or service-connected conditions.,The TDIU claim was dismissed as moot due to its full grant.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, right knee joint osteoarthritis, left knee joint osteoarthritis, right hip joint osteoarthritis, and left hip joint osteoarthritis have all been denied as there is no evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.,The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine are not supported by competent medical evidence linking his current disabilities to service, including exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and left lower extremity radiculopathy are currently rated at their maximum levels, with no higher ratings granted. The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete medical records and lack of authorization for VA to request private treatment records. The Veteran is requested to provide additional information regarding his in-service motor vehicle accident, post-service employment exposure, and prison medical history.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further examination and opinion regarding whether any service-connected disability caused or aggravated the Veteran's obesity, which is considered an intermediate step between his current service-connected disabilities and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as directly related to the Veteran's period of active service, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding the likely etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, including whether it is related to service or secondary to other service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is currently rated at 10 percent prior to July 13, 2016 and 40 percent thereafter. Separate ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy are also granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's low back condition, which may be related to service or pre-existed his second period of active service.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including chronic headaches, a lumbar spine disability, bilateral lower extremity neurological disorder (claimed as neuropathy), left knee disability, dizziness/vertigo, sleep disability (to include sleep apnea), and diabetes mellitus. The Board has remanded these issues to obtain VA medical opinions regarding the nature and likely etiology of each condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lumbar spine disorders. The current evidence does not sufficiently address whether these conditions are related to service or if they developed after separation from service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's service connection claim for a recurrent sleep disability, to include obstructive sleep apnea, is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between his major depressive disorder and the diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension due to inadequate medical opinions. The case is also remanded for a determination on entitlement to TDIU.