Sleep apnea decisions — 2022

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including right and left shoulder, elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, sleep apnea, ankle, cervical spine, upper extremity radiculopathy, and lumbar strain.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current disability is not related to his in-service injury or disease and is not secondary to his service-connected PTSD and coronary artery disease.,The Board also denied service connection for a right knee disability, concluding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease resulting in the current condition.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the condition had its onset during active duty and is related to service.

The Veteran's asthma is granted as service connected due to presumed exposure to fine particulate matter during his service in Iraq. The Veteran's OSA is remanded for further examination and medical opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected obstructive sleep apnea and asthma are rated at 50% since May 10, 2010. The Board finds that the current rating schedule adequately addresses his symptoms and does not warrant an extraschedular evaluation prior to May 10, 2011.

The Veteran's claim for service connection has been reopened, but the Board finds that further development is needed to determine if his sleep apnea and low back pain are related to service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn for his increased rating claim and earlier effective date claims. The Board finds that a Remand is necessary to further develop the service connection claims on appeal.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining missing service records and VA treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation since January 1, 2015. The Board has granted TDIU from that date.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and groin disability (epididymitis) due to additional development being necessary.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it is not caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to in-service noise exposure. Service connection was denied for right ear hearing loss due to lack of evidence showing a current disability.,Service connection was granted for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine (IVDS, spinal stenosis), lumbosacral radiculitis of the left and right lower extremities, all secondary to service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected bilateral ankle disabilities.,The Veteran's right knee chondromalacia and left knee chondromalacia are both remanded for further evaluation due to the need for a more contemporaneous VA examination addressing their etiology and aggravation by service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence to support a direct relationship between his sleep apnea and his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine and IVDS was rated at 10 percent prior to February 8, 2016. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted for this period.

The Board has granted service connection for allergic rhinitis with nasal polyposis, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus, type II. The conditions are found to be at least as likely as not the result of disease or injury incurred in active service.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is found to have begun during active service and granted as service connected.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's increased rating claims for his lumbosacral strain spondylolisthesis with degenerative arthritis prior to October 2, 2012. The appeal was also dismissed regarding his claims for higher ratings from April 16, 2019.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in the need for regular aid and attendance of another person, as well as preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance and a total disability rating due to individual unemployability.