Sleep apnea decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the case for further development to address whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected anxiety disorder with alcohol use disorder.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and an initial rating higher than 30 percent for Meniere's disease prior to August 16, 2021 due to additional development needed.

The Board has remanded the claims for sleep apnea and hypertension, as they are inextricably intertwined due to the potential impact of a decision on sleep apnea on hypertension. The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability is alleged to have caused or aggravated his sleep apnea.

The Board has decided to remand the current issues on appeal due to incomplete requests for private medical records and a need to notify the Appellant of the incomplete VA Form 21-4142. The case will be returned to the Board after compliance with these actions.

The Veteran's claims for reopening service connection for osteoporosis, high cholesterol, hypertension, and GERD were denied. The claim for depression was granted, but the claim for sleep apnea was not reopened as it did not relate to a service-connected disability.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than May 6, 2013 for increased ratings for various disabilities was denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed as moot due to the full grants of benefits. The petition to reopen his service connection claim for left and right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy has been granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for ischemic heart disease and sleep apnea due to additional theories of entitlement not previously addressed, including whether PTSD with anxiety disorder caused or aggravated these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there is not sufficient evidence to establish a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Veteran's appeal has been remanded for further development regarding his service-connected lumbosacral strain, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and obstructive sleep apnea. The extension of a temporary disability rating for left hallux valgus through July 31, 2011 is granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sleep apnea and a heart condition as secondary to prescribed medication for PTSD due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the Veteran withdrew his appeal before a decision was made.

Service connection for GERD is granted.,The Veteran's right knee scar is not entitled to a compensable rating as there is no evidence of deep, unstable, or painful scars exceeding 144 square inches.

The Veteran's appeal is denied for various conditions and ratings, with some issues being denied in excess of the assigned rating and others having their ratings denied altogether.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right hip disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and potentially missing VA treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for GERD, allergic rhinitis, and OSA on a secondary basis to the Veteran's service-connected major depression, recurrent, claimed as depression.

The Veteran's claim to reopen service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea is granted. The Board finds additional development necessary due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of his sleep apnea, lumbar spine disability, and right hip disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no current diagnosis of this condition and that any reported symptoms are related to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain supplemental opinions regarding whether the Veteran's cardiovascular disability and sleep disorder are related to his service-connected left shoulder disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for atrial fibrillations, sleep apnea (to include as secondary to a service-connected disability), and hypertension. The issues are being remanded due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran that reopened his claims.

The Board has denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of increased evaluation for lumbosacral strain with degenerative changes. The case is now being returned to the RO for further development.