Sleep apnea decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding service connection for sleep apnea, including issues related to presumed exposure to burn pits and whether PTSD caused or aggravated the condition.

The Board denied service connection for right shoulder, left shoulder, neck/cervical spine, and back/spine disabilities. The Veteran's STRs were unremarkable for complaints of these conditions.,Service connection was not granted as the earliest clinical evidence of current symptoms is more than a decade after separation from service.

The Board has remanded the claims for a higher rating for spondylosis of the thoracolumbar spine, service connection for Parkinson's Disease with restless leg syndrome, skin cancer, acne, rosacea, hypogonadism, pulmonary anomaly, and sinusitis due to exposure to herbicides. The Veteran is requested to provide additional medical opinions regarding these claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and obstructive sleep apnea due to missing medical records and the need for a VA opinion.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA addendum medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's OSA, to include on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's service connection claim for sleep apnea was denied, but he was granted service connection for insomnia as a secondary condition to his service-connected disability.,The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection for sleep apnea, but determined that it is proximately due to his service-connected right ring finger injury.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate reasons and bases in addressing whether the Veteran was entitled to service connection for lumbar spine disorder and bilateral foot disorder. The case is now pending with VA examinations.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms are manifested by occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking and/or mood. A disability rating of 70 percent for PTSD is granted.,Service connection for PTSD is granted effective November 24, 2015.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted based on his service-connected PTSD.,Service connection for hypertension is denied as there is no current diagnosis of hypertension in the record.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (Insomnia) is remanded due to lack of evidence and need for a VA opinion.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus is remanded due to lack of evidence and need for a VA opinion.,Service connection for prostate cancer is remanded due to lack of evidence and need for a VA opinion.,Service connection for genitourinary disorder, to include BPH, is remanded due to lack of evidence and need for a VA opinion.,Service connection for flat feet is remanded due to lack of evidence and need for a VA opinion.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and whether it is proximately due or aggravated by service-connected diabetes mellitus type II (DMII) and coronary artery disease (CAD).

The Board has denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as it is not related to active service, and the evidence does not support a finding that OSA was caused or aggravated by service-connected diabetes mellitus or coronary artery disease.

The Board denied service connection for TBI due to the lack of evidence supporting a current diagnosis and an in-service injury.,The Board remanded the claims for erectile dysfunction, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and obstructive sleep apnea as there was insufficient medical examination or opinion.

The Board has decided to remand this case due to the need for a VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated his obesity, which in turn caused or aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, OSA, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and a bilateral foot disability due to lack of in-service diagnosis or exposure to herbicide agents.,Service connection was not granted on a direct basis as there is no evidence of continuity of symptoms from service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory condition and obstructive sleep apnea due to asbestos exposure. The AOJ is required to obtain pertinent medical records, including those from the Veteran CHOICE program and Vista Imaging, and provide an adequate opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Board denied service connection for recurrent sleep disability, including obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a relationship to active service or service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various disabilities, including anxiety and depression, neck disability, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, back disability, vertigo, sleeping disorder (including sleep apnea), and Meniere's syndrome. The Veteran is asked to provide authorization for VA to obtain records from University of Western States chiropractic school in Portland, Oregon.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for asthma and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to service.

The Board has denied the reopening of the claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as there is no new and material evidence to support the claim, and the Veteran's statement that he was an active drilling National Guard member at the time of his diagnosis does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's claims for higher special monthly compensation rates based on loss of use of her lower extremities are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and medical opinions regarding her service-connected disabilities.