Sleep apnea decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension as secondary to OSA due to insufficient opinions regarding direct service connection, secondary service connection, and aggravation.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development and needs further medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's OSA.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for neuropathy of the bilateral legs has been withdrawn. The Board has remanded cases involving sleep apnea and neuropathy of the bilateral arms, to include as secondary to service-connected PTSD and shoulder disabilities, respectively.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence linking OSA to active service and concluding that it is not proximately due or aggravated by any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea began during his active naval service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's right ankle osteoarthritis with tendonitis and sprain is currently rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds no basis for a higher rating. The lumbosacral strain and DDD are remanded due to incomplete records.

The Veteran's asthma and OSA have been granted service connection based on exposure to particulate matter during his active duty in the Southwest Asia theater of operations.,A rating of 50 percent for unspecified depressive disorder from September 22, 2014 to March 29, 2016 has also been granted.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that his current condition is related to his active military service.

The Board has vacated its previous decision and remanded the case due to an error in listing names, but service connection for obstructive sleep apnea remains on hold as a new VA medical opinion is needed.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, as it is unclear whether the Veteran's PTSD caused or aggravated his sleep apnea. The case will be returned to VA for further development and an opinion on this issue.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient reasoning in the previous VA opinion regarding service connection for sleep apnea. The examiner's opinions need to be revised and clarified, including addressing herbicide exposure as a potential cause.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess her service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left shoulder and lumbosacral paravertebral myositis are remanded due to inadequate examination reports. The VA examiner is instructed to provide estimates of additional range of motion loss during flare-ups, as well as the degree at which pain begins.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for OSA, a headache disability, and left knee instability due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations. Additional evidence is needed, including treatment records from private providers and verification of the Veteran's duty status during his deployments.

The Board has determined that the medical opinions provided are inadequate and requires further development to determine if the Veteran's sleep apnea is caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for obstructive sleep apnea and bronchial asthma, as well as his TDIU claim due to insufficient rationale in the previous VA examination and lack of evidence regarding continuity of symptoms. The Veteran is required to provide additional information and documentation supporting his claims, and a new VA examination is needed to assess the nature and severity of his disabilities.

The claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and an opinion regarding whether the condition is related to active service.

The Board has determined that the remand is necessary to obtain an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea, specifically addressing whether it is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that new and material evidence was not submitted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tuberculosis-related lung disease, broke nose residuals, and bilateral hearing loss. The issues of service connection for sinusitis and/or rhinitis as secondary to his service-connected broken nose and sleep apnea are remanded.