Sleep apnea decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is being remanded due to the need for additional development and medical opinions.

The Veteran's OSA and headaches are granted as secondary to service-connected disabilities, while his TBI claim is denied. Effective dates for the grants of service connection have been set at August 28, 2015.

The Veteran's skin rash and low back disorder claims have been reopened due to the submission of new evidence.,Service connection for a qualifying chronic disability manifested by unexplained rash and other dermatological signs and symptoms, including erythematous papules located on the lower abdomen and lower back with dry and scaly skin, due to undiagnosed illness is granted.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for his lumbosacral strain with degenerative joint disease and herniated disc at L4-5 and L5-S1, with intervertebral disc syndrome, and with impaired ejaculation and urinary hesitancy was denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for his right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy was also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, OSA, and left CTS on a secondary basis due to the Veteran's service-connected conditions.,The evidence is in approximate balance as to whether the Veteran's service-connected diabetes is proximately causing his left upper extremity CTS.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development to determine if the Veteran's COPD and OSA are related to service, including any in-service treatment.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and bilateral pes planus. The Veteran's groin disability, varicose veins, and respiratory disability are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for PTSD has been granted. The claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and sleep apnea are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, as it is unclear whether the Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II caused or aggravated his sleep apnea. The examiner must provide an opinion on this issue.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted, and his liver cirrhosis initial rating and effective date issues are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the need for additional records from Social Security Administration (SSA). The appellant is the surviving spouse of the Veteran who served in active military from October 1962 to December 1964.

The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD is granted. The claims for asthma, COPD, emphysema, and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded due to inadequate VA opinions.

Your claim for service connection for a lumbosacral strain (also claimed as low back disability) has been dismissed because your appeal is moot due to the grant of service connection in June 2023.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for lumbosacral strain, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the severity of his conditions prior to November 19, 2018 and from November 19, 2018 onwards.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, secondary to his service-connected back disability. The decision also acknowledges that obesity was a result of his service-connected back disability and is considered an intermediate step in causing the sleep apnea.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, but the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded. Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for further development. The current ratings for his lumbar spine conditions are denied, while he is granted a separate rating for right lumbar radiculopathy.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examinations and failure to address the Veteran's lay statements regarding his respiratory symptoms. The VA must obtain treatment records, verify asbestos exposure during service, and provide an addendum opinion considering all relevant evidence.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain updated VA medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and benign prostatic hyperplasia began during service or are otherwise related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), hypertension (HTN), and a heart condition have all been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.,There are no current diagnoses of tinnitus, OSA, HTN, or a heart condition in the record.