Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is secondary to obesity caused by his service-connected thoracolumbar spine condition.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board has remanded the issue of entitlement to a higher rating for this condition.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's sleep apnea (OSA) is related or aggravated by his service-connected depression and anxiety, thus granting service connection for OSA.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a bilateral lumbosacral disorder and anxiety/depression were dismissed as the Veteran did not file a Notice of Disagreement within one year of the August 8, 2019 decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected PTSD, and thus grants service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected chondromalacia patella of the left knee, finding that obesity, a result of his service-connected knee disorder, was a substantial factor in causing his OSA.

The Board has remanded the claims for sleep apnea and cardiac disability due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches may be related to her obstructive sleep apnea, but a secondary service connection is not established. For her cardiac disability, there is insufficient evidence to establish its onset during service or relate it to any in-service symptoms.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and GERD, both claimed as secondary to his service-connected PTSD with dysthymia. The VA examiner must provide an addendum opinion addressing whether these conditions were caused or aggravated by the service-connected condition.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are currently rated at 30 percent, but the Board finds no evidence of very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not shown as chronic in service or within a presumptive period, did not manifest to a compensable degree within a presumptive period, and were not noted in service with attributable continuity of symptomatology.,The Veteran has been denied service connection for fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, sleep apnea, and TDIU prior to March 16, 2021.

The Board has granted an effective date of December 7, 2015 for the award of service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran's symptoms were present prior to the March 2017 sleep study that confirmed the diagnosis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the claimed conditions did not manifest in service or within one year of separation, and are not proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated by a service-connected disease or injury.,For accrued benefits purposes, the Veteran was not granted service connection for any of his claimed disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical strain, finding that the Veteran's current condition is proximately due to his service-connected bilateral ankle conditions and bilateral plantar fasciitis.,The Board has also granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, finding that the Veteran's current condition is etiologically related to his active service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD and lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, GERD, IBS, right and left knee disabilities, sleep apnea, and an acquired psychiatric disorder have been remanded due to insufficient evidence or further clarification needed.

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

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have most nearly approximated occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, warranting a 70% rating for the entire period on appeal. The Veteran is also granted TDIU prior to June 6, 2022.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to insufficient medical opinions regarding causation and aggravation.

The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected depression and anxiety, finding that obesity acted as an intermediate step in a causal chain.

The Veteran's sleep apnea with COPD is currently rated at 50 percent, but the Board found no evidence to support a higher rating due to lack of respiratory failure or tracheostomy.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is now rated at 70%, qualifying him for a TDIU effective November 19, 2020. The Board found that the Veteran was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment within one year prior to his claim for a TDIU.