Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, and the Board dismissed the case as a result.

The Veteran's psychiatric condition, lumbosacral strain, and left ankle disability have been rated as per the criteria since July 31, 2019. The effective dates for SMC based on housebound status and DEA are also set to this date.

The Board has denied service connection for depression, hearing loss, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and tinnitus. The decision is based on the lack of evidence supporting these conditions during or within one year after active duty.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, IBS, OSA, and migraine headaches have been granted due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The appeal is successful in these areas.

The Veteran's claims for increased CAD, service connection for OSA and Headache Disability have been denied. The TDIU claim has been remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left hip injury, right hip disability, gallbladder disability, and sleep apnea due to lack of evidence meeting VA criteria for a current disability. The claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea and whether it is related to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service onset or relevant respiratory injury and that the service-connected back disability did not cause or aggravate obesity, which is necessary to establish secondary service connection.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for thoracic outlet syndrome of the right and left upper extremities, as well as sleep apnea. The Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence regarding a current diagnosis of GERD has been submitted, warranting readjudication of the claim for service connection. The claims for low back disability, right knee disability, and sleep apnea are not warranted for readjudication as no new and relevant evidence has been provided.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected disabilities, specifically low back strain with degenerative changes, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and PTSD.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is caused by service or if it is aggravated by his service-connected PTSD and knee conditions. The Veteran will need a VA examination to address these issues.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to be related to his service-connected PTSD and peripheral neuropathy, granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for mechanical low back pain and lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease L3-4 was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or other factors. Service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy were also denied as there is no evidence of secondary service connection.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to his service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The decision is based on a private medical opinion that found it at least as likely as not that the OSA was aggravated by the PTSD.

The Board has denied service connection for right ear hearing loss disability due to lack of evidence showing a current disability. The claims for left ear hearing loss and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded as the VA examination was inadequate.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for his service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease, right lower extremity sciatica pain, and left lower extremity sciatica pain. The appeal was not granted as the Veteran did not continuously pursue his claim within one year of the April 2019 decision.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient information regarding the relationship between the Veteran's factor II clotting disorder and service, as well as its relation to his other respiratory conditions. The claim will be returned for further evaluation by a VA medical examiner.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of an addendum in the initial decision, and will consider any new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including sinusitis, rhinitis, a neck disability, and a right shoulder disability, caused his sleep apnea. The Board granted the claim for secondary service connection.