Sleep apnea decisions — 2023

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's OSA is related to service or secondary to his PTSD. A VA examination is needed to address these issues.

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, finding no evidence linking these conditions to service or any presumptive exposure to herbicides. Service connection was also denied for OSA secondary to PTSD.,Service connection was not granted as there is insufficient medical evidence to link the Veteran's current disabilities to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain with spondylosis of the lumbar spine and denied service connection for a left elbow disability. The Veteran's back condition is considered to have originated during his period of active duty training (ADT), while his left elbow enthesitis is not related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, bilateral pes planus, and spinal condition with radiculopathy are found to be etiologically related to his obstructive sleep apnea. The TDIU claim is also granted.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal seeking to reopen a claim of service connection for sleep apnea with the submission of new and material evidence.

The Veteran is unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities, including sleep apnea, PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Board has granted total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient reasoning in a previous medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected undifferentiated type schizophrenia with psychosis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current obstructive sleep apnea is not due to a preexisting condition and was incurred during his active military service, granting the claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for tinnitus and back disability due to inadequate VA examinations and missing medical records. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, which are believed to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and reopening of claims have been withdrawn. The Board has also remanded the issues regarding obstructive sleep apnea, whether new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the previously denied service connection claim for a bilateral knee disorder, and whether new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the previously denied service connection claim for a back disorder.

The Veteran's service connection claim for sleep apnea is being remanded due to incomplete medical opinions and the need for an addendum opinion considering his Gulf War environment, including exposure to burn pits.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes, sleep apnea, bilateral upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, and seizures. The claims are being remanded to obtain further medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional development and examination, including a VA examination to assess the current nature and severity of the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral sprain with degenerative arthritis.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The VA examiner needs to provide an addendum opinion addressing these issues in light of the Veteran's unique circumstances.

The Board has granted service connection for tension headaches and sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder and tinnitus.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for sleep apnea is remanded due to the lack of updated VA treatment records and a potential need for a new examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as there is no competent evidence showing a diagnosis of OSA or any link to military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there was insufficient evidence to support a link between his current diagnosis and military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left hip condition is reopened and granted. The claim for service connection for sleep apnea is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to exposure to airborne particulate matter during service. The Veteran submitted new medical articles, and a VA examiner will need to review these articles and provide an opinion on this theory.