Sleep apnea decisions — 2022

The claims of service connection for vision impairment, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right foot disability, and bilateral leg disability are not reopened. The claim of service connection for sleep disorder (OSA and/or insomnia) is remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship with service. The claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is also remanded. The claim of service connection for hypotension is remanded.

The Board granted service connection for GERD, but denied service connection for an eye disability and a left wrist disability. The claim for obstructive sleep apnea was remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claims for sleep apnea, degenerative disc disease of L3-L4 with associated spinal stenosis, patellofemoral degenerative joint disease of the right knee, and patellofemoral degenerative joint disease of the left knee (with painful motion) have been denied. The Veteran's back disability is currently rated at 20 percent.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as there is no probative evidence that the Veteran's current condition is causally related to his military service.

The Veteran's right foot plantar fasciitis, left foot plantar fasciitis, and left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome are all granted service connection. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and recurrent sleep disability (obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome) are remanded for further review. Further evaluation of the acquired bilateral eye disability is needed.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, including obtaining missing records related to service connection claims and scheduling a VA examination for dry eye syndrome.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and SMC were denied, while the claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for sleep apnea was also denied.

The Board denied increased ratings for lumbosacral strain and erectile dysfunction, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on functional loss or other criteria.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea should be remanded due to a lack of consideration of secondary service connection.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for sleep apnea secondary to deviated septum, and the Board dismissed the case.

The Veteran's initial rating for lumbosacral strain was granted at 20 percent, effective January 7, 2019. Service connection for congestive heart failure is remanded and will be reconsidered based on new evidence.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was denied as readjudication is not warranted.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction, including as due to a service-connected disability, was denied.

The Veteran's lumbosacral spine degenerative arthritis rating was reduced from 40 percent to 10 percent, but the reduction was improper due to procedural errors. The Board has restored the original 40 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain and left knee strain with patellofemoral pain syndrome due to an inadequate VA examination in December 2019. The appeal is returned to the Board for further development.

The Veteran's bladder cancer is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during his service in Thailand, and he has a current diagnosis of degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine that is secondary to his service-connected right proximal fibular fracture.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, sleep apnea, GERD, right elbow disability, right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for secondary service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea was granted with an effective date of January 30, 2012. The initial evaluation assigned is 50 percent.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is being remanded due to the need for a proper medical opinion regarding whether his condition is related to active service and if it is secondary to a pre-existing disability, specifically sinusitis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability may have been aggravated by service, but an adequate VA medical opinion is needed to determine if this aggravation was due to a preexisting condition or occurred during service.

The Board has granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), finding that these conditions are caused by the Veteran's service-connected musculoskeletal conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it is proximately due to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus.