Sleep apnea decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate examinations and need for additional evidence. The issues include left upper extremity radiculopathy, cervical spine condition, lumbosacral spine condition, skin condition, GERD, and heart condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is being remanded due to a need for updated VA treatment records and an examination to determine the nature and etiology of his condition, including whether it is related to exposure to burn pits during Gulf War service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to issues related to the effective dates of his service-connected conditions and the need for further review.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The appeal regarding earlier effective dates and disability ratings for tinnitus, left ear hearing loss, and right ear hearing loss is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination. The Veteran's sleep apnea is being reviewed, but it may be related to his service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep apnea, sinus disability, and allergies due to outstanding VA treatment records and the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for primary snoring was reopened, and her secondary service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is granted. The OSA is found to be caused by the Veteran's service-connected disabilities with obesity as an intermediate step.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for additional development due to incomplete compliance with a previous remand directive and need for further medical opinions regarding the etiology of his obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or causal relationship to active service.,The Board also remanded the issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), requesting an addendum opinion from the VA physician.

The Board has remanded several claims, including service connection for various conditions and a higher disability rating for herniated nucleus pulposus. The Veteran is requesting additional examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

Service connection for hypertension is granted under the PACT Act due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction is granted as secondary to service-connected hypertension.,Service connection for sleep apnea is denied because it is not causally related to service-connected schizophrenia.,Service connection for right carpal tunnel syndrome and left carpal tunnel syndrome are denied due to lack of evidence linking the conditions to service.

The Veteran's Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is determined to be secondary to his service-connected Right Knee Disability and Psychiatric Disability.

The Veteran's degenerative changes of the lumbosacral spine and spondylolisthesis due to a spinal fusion postoperative with scar are rated at 40 percent from May 4, 2009, to present (exclusive of the period of a total disability rating from November 16, 2009, to December 31, 2009).

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with spondylosis was granted a disability rating of 20 percent from October 29, 2018. The initial appeal for an increased rating was denied.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain was rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations.,Service connection for bilateral eye disorder was denied as it is not shown to be caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's OSA is related to service and granted. The Board found that the right knee pain, left knee pain, and patellofemoral pain syndrome (right knee) are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of diabetes mellitus, type II, fibromyalgia, a cardiovascular condition, right lower extremity neuropathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded. The Board finds that additional development is needed to address the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has determined that there is not substantial compliance with the previous remand directives and thus, both claims for an increased rating for left knee disability and service connection for sleep apnea are being returned to the RO for further development.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection of a low back disability due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its relationship to active service. The Veteran contends his current back disabilities are related to an in-service motor vehicle accident, but the VA examiner's opinion is based solely on lack of in-service evidence without considering the Veteran's reports and symptoms.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension but denied claims for lumbosacral strain (low back disability) and right knee joint osteoarthritis, finding that the evidence does not support a link to active service.