Sleep apnea decisions — 2022

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for erectile dysfunction, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea. The appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity and spondylolisthesis of the lumbosacral spine with degenerative arthritis and IVDS were denied. The Veteran was granted service connection for degenerative changes and strain of the cervical spine.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently diagnosed Obstructive Sleep Apnea began during his active-duty service and grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to her service-connected PTSD with anxiety disorder and/or status post left tibia stress fracture, finding that there is no evidence showing that these conditions are proximately due or aggravated by her service-connected disabilities.

The Board has withdrawn the Veteran's appeals regarding timeliness of a submission of a Notice of Disagreement for an earlier effective date for fracture of the right hand, 5th metacarpal and an earlier effective date prior to March 15, 2017 for service connection of PTSD. The claims for service connection for back disability, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to PTSD, right wrist disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are all remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient opinions in previous examinations. The Veteran's service connection claims are being returned for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected PTSD, finding that there was no evidence showing that his sleep apnea was caused or aggravated by his PTSD.

The Board has denied service connection for headaches, a neurological disorder of the right upper extremity, and OSA. The claim for ED is being remanded due to insufficient evidence.,Service connection for ED will be further evaluated as it was not determined if there is a relationship between the condition and any service-connected disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for fatigue, multiple sclerosis, and sleep apnea. The examiner will need to address whether these conditions are related to service or onset within a year after separation from service, as well as any relationship between headaches and these conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases for further action due to outstanding VA treatment records. The Veteran's claims of service connection, initial rating, and increased rating are now pending.

The Veteran's current sleep apnea is related to his military service.,There is no evidence of pseudofolliculitis barbae during or within one year after the Veteran's separation from service, and there is conflicting medical opinion regarding its onset. The Veteran currently has a history of pseudofolliculitis barbae while on active duty but does not have current disability.

The Board has denied service connection for PTSD due to the lack of a current diagnosis separate from the Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding OSA and erectile dysfunction.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 40 percent disability rating for his low back disability is denied as the original reduction of his disability rating was not appealed within one year, and he did not file a new appeal after the July 18, 2019 increase in rating.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no evidence to support a nexus between his current condition and his military service or any service-connected disability. The primary reason given was that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea did not have its onset in service.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to readjudicate the claims for service connection for coronary artery disease, Parkinson's disease (claimed as tremors), Barrett's esophagus, and obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran is presumed to have been exposed to herbicide agents during his active duty in Thailand, which supports a finding of presumptive service connection for these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and service, as well as its aggravation by hypertension.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it is etiologically related to his in-service nose injury.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for various service-connected conditions have been dismissed due to the Veteran's attorney requesting withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's OSA is granted as secondary to his service-connected depressive disorder and tinnitus.,The Veteran's HPV-associated squamous cell carcinoma is denied due to lack of in-service diagnosis.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and compliance with previous remand directives.