Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain and internal derangement of the left knee with osteoarthritis, status-post total knee replacement. The evidence supports that these conditions are related to active service.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection of residuals of TBI, a nose condition, sleep apnea, and a back condition as they were previously denied in March 2018.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and migraine headaches due to inadequate medical opinions. The claims will be reviewed again with additional evidence.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for higher ratings of chronic meningitis with migraine headaches and sleep apnea as the appellant withdrew his appeal.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent prior to August 2, 2020, and at 70 percent thereafter. The appeal is remanded for further examination and rating considerations.,The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc disease and lower extremity radiculopathy were not rated as requested in the decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The claims for service connection for sleep apnea and PTSD are denied, as the evidence does not support a link to service-connected conditions or stressors. The claim for service connection for sinusitis is remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a pre-decisional error in addressing the Veteran's direct service connection theory and the aggravation of his OSA by PTSD. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for sleep apnea, which is secondary to service-connected bilateral knee disabilities. The decision requires a medical examination and opinion regarding whether obesity (caused or aggravated by service-connected disabilities) was a substantial factor in causing the Veteran's current obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea secondary to PTSD has been granted.,The request for an earlier effective date for tinnitus was denied.

The Board has determined that there was a duty to assist error in the prior rating decision and has ordered additional medical opinions to address whether the Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood or obesity aggravated his OSA.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The Veteran is seeking service connection for OSA, which he claims was caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension effective from August 10, 2022, under the PACT Act. The other issues are remanded due to new evidence and potential TERA exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea has been withdrawn by the Veteran prior to a decision being made.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding in-service toxic exposures, sleep apnea, and TBI residuals. The Veteran will need to provide clarification on his exposure history and undergo VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected seborrheic dermatitis with rosacea is rated at 60 percent, which is the highest rating available under VA guidelines.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for migraine headaches was denied, and the claim for service connection for OSA, which is secondary to PTSD, was granted.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea on a secondary basis to the Veteran's service-connected hiatal hernia, finding that obesity, which is not itself a disability, served as an intermediate step in causing the Veteran's current sleep apnea.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea and chronic renal disease, both secondary to the Veteran's service-connected gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the 40 percent ratings for left and right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, as well as the 30 percent ratings for right and left knee flexion limited to 9 degrees, have been remanded.,The effective date for the award of service connection for OSA is granted on April 2, 2019.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for back, left ankle, sinus, and sleep apnea conditions. However, as these claims are remanded to the RO, they will be readjudicated in the first instance based on all evidence of record, including new and relevant information.