Sleep apnea decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings due to outstanding VA treatment records and incomplete STRs. The issues of tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, hypertensive heart disease with LVH and mild diastolic dysfunction, major depressive disorder, sleep apnea, and retinal holes with lattice degeneration are all remanded.

The Veteran's lumbosacral spine strain is currently rated at 40 percent, effective March 4, 2014. The appeal for a higher initial rating has been denied.

The Veteran's right knee arthritis is granted as service-connected, with the condition noted in service and continuing since service.,There is no evidence of a left collar bone disorder during active duty. The Veteran's claim for this issue is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a genitourinary disorder, including dysuria and epididymitis of the bilateral testes, has been denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have been remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The VA needs to obtain a new medical opinion addressing whether the condition is related to the appellant's military service, specifically his period of active duty from February 2011 to February 2012.

The Veteran's appeal is granted for reopening the claim of service connection for OSA. However, his claims for insomnia and chronic fatigue syndrome are denied.

The Board has decided that the RO's denial of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea requires a Statement of the Case (SOC) to be issued, as no SOC was provided.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for further examination regarding the Veteran's recurrent sleep disability, specifically obstructive sleep apnea. The current VA evaluation is deemed inadequate and requires additional assessment.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in obtaining and considering private treatment records, particularly sleep studies from 2011 and 2005. The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is being reviewed again with a focus on whether it was aggravated by service-connected PTSD.

The VA Form 9 submitted in February 2018 was not received within the required time frame, leading to a denial of the appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea but remanded the issue of increased evaluation for asbestosis.

The Board has granted service connection for GERD, migraines, left knee strain, and OSA. The Board found that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service complaints or injuries.

The appeals for service connection for high cholesterol, heart valve disorder, left hip disability, right hip disability, obstructive sleep apnea, and back disability are dismissed. The Veteran's request to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection for a heart valve disorder is granted.

The Board found that the original service connection for a lumbosacral strain was clearly and unmistakably erroneous due to CUE, thus severing the award of service connection effective October 1, 2018.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, OSA, diabetes, and diabetic neuropathy due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's service connection claims are pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, including as secondary to his service-connected PTSD, has been granted. The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD aggravated his sleep apnea.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II. The matter of the acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD, is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's sleep apnea and chronic fatigue syndrome are granted as secondary to his service-connected depressive disorder, right knee retropatellar pain syndrome with DJD, and left knee retropatellar pain syndrome with lateral meniscus tear and degenerative changes.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary due to incomplete service records and the need for further examination or opinion regarding the Veteran's claims. The appeals are remanded for these purposes.

The Board has remanded the cases of diabetes mellitus, migraine headaches, and sleep apnea for further development due to new evidence and inconsistencies in previous opinions.