Sleep apnea decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to new and material evidence not having been submitted. The issues of service connection for lumbar spine condition, cervical spine condition, sleep apnea (due to asbestos exposure and as secondary to service-connected tinnitus and non-service-connected lumbar spine condition), and shoulder pain are all remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's sleep apnea, specifically related to exposure in Southwest Asia. The Veteran is presumed exposed to toxins and a new opinion must be obtained addressing this issue.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between sleep apnea and service, as well as its relation to other service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and hypothyroidism due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents. Service connection is also remanded for sleep apnea, transient memory loss, and a disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss and 30 percent for coronary artery disease.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding no current disability and insufficient evidence to link it to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various hip, thigh, shoulder, and erectile dysfunction disabilities due to inadequate opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new and updated VA treatment records, private examinations, lay statements, and articles being added to the claims file. The RO must consider this additional evidence in the first instance.

The Veteran's asthma, left big toe condition, bilateral pes planus, and obstructive sleep apnea are all remanded for further development. The claims will be adjudicated based on the presumption of exposure to fine particulate matter in Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional development. The issues include lumbosacral strain with IVDS and disc bulge, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and a psychiatric condition (PTSD).

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran's claims for right foot hallux valgus, left foot hallux valgus, OSA, hemorrhoids, and PTSD are REMANDED.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to his service-connected disabilities or active duty.

The Board has determined that the reduction from 20 percent to 10 percent for lumbosacral spine degenerative joint/disc disease was improper and restored the original 20 percent rating. The claim for service connection of radiculopathy of the left lower extremity is granted, but a remand is ordered due to an inadequate VA examination in assessing the Veteran's current disability status.

The Board has remanded the claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral strain due to additional relevant evidence being associated with the claims file after the issuance of the June 2018 statement of the case. A supplemental statement of the case must be issued, and a VA examination is required to assess the current severity of the lumbar spine disability.

The Board has dismissed the issue of whether new and material evidence has been received for the claim of entitlement to service connection for lower left leg lipoma. The Veteran's claims for service connection for glaucoma, corneal scar of the left eye, lichen planus, PTSD, and TDIU are remanded due to receipt of new and material evidence.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, neuromuscular disability (including myasthenia gravis and fibromyalgia), and chorea with seizures and convulsions. The cases are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions.

The Board has denied service connection for liver damage, a headache disorder (including migraine headaches), a psychiatric disability (to include anxiety and depression), and sleep apnea as these conditions are not shown to be related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has remanded the case to determine if the Veteran's in-service sleep complaints were attributed to a known clinical diagnosis and whether any such signs and symptoms represent an undiagnosed illness of sleep disturbances or a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea has been granted.,Service connection was denied for bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy as secondary to diabetes. The issue of carpal tunnel syndrome is being remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD and OSA have been granted service connection. The TBI appeal has been withdrawn.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to his service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The decision resolves doubt in favor of the Veteran, finding that his PTSD medications caused or aggravated his obesity, which was a substantial factor causing his OSA.