Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly assess the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and their impact on his daily life. The Veteran will be provided with new VA examinations for his cervical spine, lumbar spine, PTSD, migraine headaches, bilateral foot disability, scar of the right hand long finger, penile disorder, and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbosacral strain, separate and apart from the service-connected thoracic spine disability was denied. The Board also found that the issue of an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for a thoracic spine disability is still pending.,The Veteran has appealed both issues, resulting in a mixed disposition where some aspects are granted (service connection) and others are not (effective date).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic cough, TBI, ED, and sleep apnea have been granted. The rating assigned is 30% for the specified trauma and stressor related disorder.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease, and lumbosacral strain as the evidence did not show a nexus to service or secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, migraine headaches, and right upper extremity radiculopathy have been granted. The initial disability ratings for the cervical spine and lumbar spine conditions are also granted.

The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's condition did not manifest with chronic respiratory failure or require tracheostomy.

The appeal has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant, and no final decision can be made regarding the service connection claims.

The Veteran's right eye and hypertension disability claims have been dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran.,The Veteran's cervical spine disability has been granted service connection, but his hypertension rating remains at 10 percent.,Service connection for OSA is granted based on evidence in relative equipoise regarding its onset during service.,Left knee and right shoulder disabilities are remanded for further examination and opinion.,An initial compensable rating for insomnia is also remanded.,The Veteran's right shoulder disability may be secondary to his left shoulder or cervical spine disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, finding that the evidence is approximately evenly balanced as to whether these conditions had their onset in service.

The Veteran's appeal for diabetes mellitus is dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.,The claims for PTSD, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome of the bilateral lower extremities are reopened. The Board will remand these issues to obtain additional medical opinions regarding service connection.,The claim for erectile dysfunction is also remanded due to its inextricability with the psychiatric disorder issue.,The Veteran's appeal for diabetes mellitus is dismissed, and his claims for PTSD, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome of the bilateral lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction are reopened. The Board will remand these issues to obtain additional medical opinions regarding service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate previous VA opinions and failure to comply with prior remand directives. The Veteran's sleep disorder, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), is being reviewed for service connection, as well as his nonservice-connected pension benefits claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including back pain, sleep apnea, and anxiety/panic attacks, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) effective October 12, 2018.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities, but denied both on the merits due to lack of evidence linking current disabilities to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation from August 25, 2015 to January 16, 2018. The Board granted a TDIU during this period.

The appeal for sleep apnea and increased rating for left ulnar nerve neuropathy has been dismissed.,The right wrist disability, cervical spine disability, and GERD (hiatal hernia) claims have been reopened and are being remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient development of evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current obstructive sleep apnea is caused by or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and allergic rhinitis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and incomplete analysis. The claims will be reconsidered with consideration of all evidence, including lay statements.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a current disability for service connection of bilateral hearing loss. The remaining issues on appeal are remanded due to insufficient evidence and need further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of her right knee, thoracic spine, and sleep apnea disabilities. The claims are being returned for further development.