Sleep apnea decisions — 2023

The Veteran's varicose veins of the right and left legs are currently rated at 20 percent each, but there is no evidence of more than the current ratings being warranted.,The Veteran's right knee degenerative joint disease with chondromalacia is currently rated at 10 percent. The appeal for a higher rating remains pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent prior to January 20, 2023, and since January 20, 2023, for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine. Additionally, the TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and lack of substantial compliance with prior remand directives. The issues include PTSD, anxiety, sleep apnea, and aneurysm (AAA).

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied prior to October 6, 2021 as he was employed in a substantially gainful occupation with reported earnings above the poverty threshold level for a single person and a household of two people.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee disability and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions began during active service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to be the proximate cause of his obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The claim for erectile dysfunction secondary to service-connected disability is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as he does not have a current disability.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, hypertension, and a broken right hand are remanded for further development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there is no current diagnosis of this condition and thus not meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his service-connected lumbosacral strain and bilateral hearing loss were denied. The Board also determined that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claims for service connection for TBI, an acquired psychiatric disorder, a headache disorder, a sleep disorder (claimed as obstructive sleep apnea), and a gastrointestinal disorder (claimed as irritable bowel syndrome).

The Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus has been granted. The claims for erectile dysfunction and impotence, sleep apnea, renal failure, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding in-service exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there was no direct or secondary service connection to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim of service connection for TBI was granted. Service connection for TBI is denied.,The claims for service connection for sleep apnea and hypothyroidism are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) was incurred during service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he has been working part-time since February 2022 and his limitations are manageable.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for back, neck, and bilateral lower extremity nerve disabilities have been dismissed as they were granted in a previous rating decision. The claims for service connection for brain tumor, epilepsy, asthma, and sleep apnea have all been denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's service-connected low back strain and its relationship to his current diagnoses. The issues of increased rating for recurrent low back strain and service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy are being returned to VA for further evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and obstructive sleep apnea, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease. The Veteran's current disabilities are not related to his active service.,For the right wrist disability, the Board found that there is no ankylosis, but granted a 10% rating effective June 28, 2017.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of VA examination for sleep apnea and the need to clarify whether the Veteran still requests a DRO informal conference.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for deviated septum and obstructive sleep apnea due to new evidence and inconsistencies in previous opinions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea and a need for further examination.