Sleep apnea decisions — 2022

The Board has dismissed the appeals for reopening service connection claims due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain VA treatment records and to schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his sleep apnea, including whether it was incurred in service or caused by his presumed exposure to fine particulate matter during his Gulf War service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome (including anal fissures), and hypertension is granted.,The Veteran's current disabilities of the digestive system, including irritable bowel syndrome with hemorrhoids and anal fissures, are found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's low back strain is granted service connection, and his right hip disability receives separate evaluations for limitation of flexion and adduction. The claim for a higher evaluation for the right hip bursitis and adductor tendinitis with trochanteric pain syndrome and degenerative joint disease remains denied.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for lumbosacral strain and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sigmoid diverticulosis and obstructive sleep apnea due to inadequate opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for an addendum VA medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), specifically addressing whether it is proximately due or aggravated by service-connected PTSD, TBI, and a right ankle disability.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to a lack of adequate opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to his obesity and whether his obesity aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his active service and remanded for further development. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for PVD, pes planus, and right leg cellulitis. The Veteran's sleep apnea and migraine headaches remain under consideration.,Further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's sleep apnea and migraine headaches are secondary to his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is being remanded for further development, including obtaining his complete VA medical treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the disability. The examiner will need to assess whether the sleep apnea had its clinical onset during active service or is related to any incident of service, particularly his conceded herbicide exposure. Additionally, the examiner should evaluate if the sleep apnea was caused by or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's service connection claims for obstructive sleep apnea and cervical degenerative disc disease are granted. The claim for lumbar spine disability is dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea with insomnia is granted, as the evidence is at least in approximate balance that his conditions arose during or as a result of his active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current obstructive sleep apnea is related to his service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for folliculitis barbae and remanded the remaining issues due to insufficient evidence or need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for deviated septum, sleep disability (including sleep apnea), migraine headaches, and sinusitis due to incomplete records and need for further medical opinions.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's claims for bilateral knee, left ankle, and right foot disorders are denied as there is no current disability or credible link to his military service. Service connection for lumbar spine disorder, neck disorder, left foot disorder, sleep apnea, and headaches remains pending with additional medical opinions required.

The Board has granted service connection for status post right knee arthroscopy. The other issues of service connection have been remanded due to the need for VA examinations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that it did not manifest during active service and is not otherwise causally or etiologically related to his military service. The Board also found no evidence of aggravation by a service-connected condition.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to a current service-connected disability and resulting obesity, and for lumbar spine disabilities, diagnosed as degenerative disc disease, degenerative joint disease, and intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), based on the Veteran's credible statements of continuity of symptoms.