Sleep apnea decisions — 2023

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and consideration of lay statements regarding the onset of obstructive sleep apnea during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are granted. The Board finds new and material evidence to support the reopening of his claims for back condition, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and erectile dysfunction.

The Board denied service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, finding that the Veteran's current back condition is not related to his military service.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is rated at a 50 percent disability rating, but no higher, throughout the entire period on appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion and failure to address lay assertions regarding in-service symptoms of sleep apnea.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder, lumbar degenerative disc disease, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy. The Veteran needs a new VA examination to address these issues.

The Board has denied service connection for OSA and remanded the issue of aggravation of low back disorder by service-connected knee and/or left ankle disorders.

The Board has remanded the issue of entitlement to TDIU based solely on residuals of myxofibrosarcoma of the right thigh due to a failure to address it in the first instance by the Regional Office.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for traumatic brain injury, headaches, sleep apnea, and a right knee disorder have been denied. The evidence did not substantiate the presence of these conditions during or related to active duty.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of chronic epididymitis and denied service connection for this condition. For obstructive sleep apnea, the Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding its relationship to military service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for tinnitus is denied as the maximum schedular rating has been assigned.,Service connection for sleep apnea is denied because there is no evidence linking it to service, and the Veteran did not seek treatment during service.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction (ED) is denied due to lack of evidence showing a link between ED and active military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been reopened, but the claim is denied.,Service connection for allergic rhinitis was also denied. The evidence does not support a finding that the condition began during or within one year of separation from active duty.,Benign pulmonary nodule claims were denied as well.

The Board has remanded the cases of sleep apnea and genitourinary disorder for further development. The Veteran's service connection claims are pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for obstructive sleep apnea, plantar fasciitis, and a bilateral hand/wrist disorder due to procedural issues and the need for additional medical opinions considering potential toxic exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to service-connected PTSD and if it was aggravated by PTSD.

The Veteran's asthma is rated at 30 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Board also found that he is unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has dismissed the claim for service connection for a visual disability as it was granted in a previous rating decision.,The Board denied the claims for service connection for sleep apnea and fibromyalgia, finding no evidence of a causal relationship to service or service-connected conditions.,Service connection for fibromyalgia is denied due to lack of objective medical evidence.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated as 30 percent disabling prior to August 12, 2016. The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD due to the severity of his symptoms resulting in occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence linking his current diagnosis to active duty service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to her service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether OSA was caused or aggravated by PTSD.