Sleep apnea decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea has been reopened, and the case is remanded to determine if it is related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in the previous decisions and a need for further examination. The Veteran's sleep apnea is being reviewed again, with consideration of his service history, asbestos exposure, other service-connected disabilities, and obesity.

The Board has remanded the case for a retrospective opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran's lumbosacral strain as documented at the December 2017 VA examination. The Veteran is seeking an increased rating for his lumbosacral strain prior to July 10, 2020.

The Veteran's appeal includes requests for increased ratings for various knee disabilities and service connection for bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, and tinnitus. Additional evidence has been received since the April 2020 statement of the case. The Board is remanding these matters to issue a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC).

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for tinea versicolor of the trunk and chest is denied as his condition does not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is denied because there is no evidence that it had its onset during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's application to reopen his claim of service connection for residuals of lumbosacral strain, status post-operative due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it was not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability and is not otherwise related to his active-duty service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions and incomplete consideration of the Veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disability, including as due to herbicide agent exposure and toxic exposure during active service duties. The case is now pending for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including service connection claims and a rating for shin splints. The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis and lumbosacral strain are not rated higher than the current levels due to lack of evidence supporting more severe disability. Service connection for cervical spine and left wrist disabilities is denied as they are not attributable to active military service or arthritis manifest within one year post-service. The claim for a headache was previously denied, but new evidence did not meet the criteria for reopening.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions, including b-cell leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, lymphosarcoma, soft tissue sarcoma, and hemorrhoids, all potentially related to herbicide exposure. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to address these issues.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and TDIU claims due to the lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was found not related to his military service, and his persistent depressive disorder did not cause or aggravate his sleep apnea.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee conditions, as well as GERD and obstructive sleep apnea. The issues of GERD and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded due to non-compliance with previous Board directives.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for her lumbosacral strain with IVDS, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity was denied. The current ratings are 20 percent for lumbosacral strain with IVDS.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral strain is denied. The Board finds that the Veteran failed to report for a VA examination necessary to evaluate his increased rating claim, and thus remanded the issue of service connection for a left knee disability.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that it is secondary to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and COPD, as well as their relationship to service-connected PTSD and diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to address the relationship between the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, obesity, and service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate VA medical opinions and failure to verify in-service stressors. The Veteran's right knee disorder, acquired psych disorder (PTSD), and sleep apnea are all under review.

The Board has determined that another remand is necessary to address the relationship between the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and his service-connected sinusitis, asthma, and allergic rhinitis.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's symptoms have been present since his military service and are related to his current condition.