Sleep apnea decisions — 2023

The Board has determined that additional relevant service medical and personnel records have been received, necessitating the reconsideration of multiple claims for various disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The appellant has withdrawn their appeal regarding the issue of service connection for sleep apnea. As a result, the Board is dismissing the appeal.

The Veteran's initial claim for a low back disability was denied, and her subsequent increased rating claims were also denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support ratings in excess of 10 percent or 40 percent from October 24, 2016 to September 28, 2017, and from September 29, 2017 respectively.

The Board denied service connection for GERD secondary to peptic ulcer disease and remanded the issues of service connection for liposarcoma and TDIU. The Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents at Fort Dix is in dispute.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea, left hip disability, right hip disability, and shoulder disabilities due to a lack of sufficient evidence or examination. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, with some potentially related to PTSD.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to have onset during his active service and the Board has granted direct service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his service-connected lumbosacral spine degenerative disease was denied. The VA determined that the condition did not warrant a rating in excess of 40 percent, effective from May 14, 2016.

The Veteran's left knee, right knee, and scars of the right cheek and forehead have been granted service connection as they are related to his service-connected PTSD. The Veteran's OSA, left knee disability, and right knee disability remain under review.

The Board has withdrawn the appeal for service connection of sinus disorder and has remanded the claim for secondary service connection of sleep apnea to the RO.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and an earlier effective date for service connection are being remanded due to the need for new examinations, consideration of additional evidence, and a determination of the appropriate effective date.

The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disorder, including as due to herbicide exposure. The Board also granted restoration of the 60 percent rating for CAD and TDIU from June 18, 2009 to August 2, 2017.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, but the other issues related to hearing loss, wrist disorder, foot disorder, asthma, and COPD are remanded.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the previously denied claims of hypercholesterolemia and triglycerides was denied.,Service connection for macular degeneration, cataracts, and sleep apnea were granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development, requiring a supplemental medical opinion on the Veteran's lumbosacral strain and its relationship to his service-connected right shoulder disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral spine degenerative joint disease and lower left extremity radiculopathy associated with the condition have been denied. The evidence does not support a higher rating based on ankylosis or IVDS, and the current disability levels are considered to be most consistent with moderate incomplete paralysis prior to July 15, 2022, and moderately severe incomplete paralysis thereafter.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient VA treatment records and private inpatient care records. A new VA examination is also required.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain. The issues include seeking increased evaluations and entitlement to TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, finding that the Veteran's preexisting pes planus was aggravated by his active-duty service.,The Board also granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as due to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), noting a strong correlation between PTSD and sleep apnea but no causal relationship established.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's current condition had its onset during his military service.