Sleep apnea decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for schizophrenia and withdrawn the appeals for service connection for a lung disability, sleep apnea, heart disability, diabetes, hepatitis C, and hypertension.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea claim should be remanded for further development and an opinion from a clinician regarding whether his current condition is related to service.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied claim for entitlement to service connection for a neck disability was denied. The issues of higher ratings for diabetes mellitus, type I; unspecified anxiety disorder; and lumbosacral spine intervertebral disc syndrome and degenerative disc disease were remanded. The issue of TDIU was also remanded.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and medical opinions are inadequate for determining the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions. The Veteran's service-connected left foot disability is believed to have caused or aggravated his current back, hip, and knee conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for left rotator cuff tendonitis. Service connection for sleep apnea is remanded due to a lack of adequate medical opinions.

A rating of 70 percent for PTSD is granted. The claim to readjudicate service connection for sleep apnea is granted, but the matter is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were withdrawn. The Board granted service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis, right knee degenerative arthritis, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

The Board has denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and a right eye disability, finding no in-service injury or disease related to these conditions. The increased rating claim for the back disability is also denied.

The Board has determined that the previous denial of service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD was not supported by adequate medical evidence and requires further review.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected PTSD, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for retnitus pigmatosa was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for service connection for diabetes mellitus and sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD. The Board dismissed the appeals.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected sinusitis. The asthma issue has been remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and an initial compensable evaluation for migraine headaches are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is granted as service-connected. The claims for sleep apnea and PTSD are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it is proximately due to or caused by his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain and loss of teeth have been dismissed due to the appellant withdrawing his appeal.

The Board has remanded the claims for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent, from December 26, 2007, to July 17, 2013, for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease; for a rating in excess of 40 percent, from July 18, 2013, for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease; for a rating in excess of 10 percent, from July 18, 2013, to January 6, 2021, for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity; and for a rating in excess of 20 percent, as of January 7, 2021, for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis is remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his disability. The issue of entitlement to TDIU is also remanded due to its inextricability from the rating claim.