Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for sleep apnea and prostate condition due to insufficient medical opinions provided by VA examiners.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for eligibility for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to her inability to use assistive devices as a normal mode of locomotion.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a current dental disability for which service connection may be granted for compensation purposes. The claim of service connection for loss of upper and lower teeth is denied. For sleep apnea, the Board finds that a remand is necessary to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions provided for the Veteran's bilateral feet, left ankle, left hip, and lumbar spine were inadequate. The claims are being remanded to obtain a new and adequate VA opinion to determine whether these disabilities were caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for hearing loss was dismissed.,Service connection for sleep apnea, left ankle gout, right ankle gout, left foot gout, and right foot gout were granted as secondary to hypertension.,Service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine was granted as secondary to residual fracture of the left ankle and bilateral knee degenerative arthritis.

The Board has remanded the propriety of reducing a 100 percent disability rating for Rosai-Dorfman Disease after June 1, 2016 and the issues regarding higher ratings for left eye atrophy and blindness, diabetes insipidus, and seizure disorder as residuals of Rosai-Dorfman Disease. The remand requires an in-person VA examination to determine the current severity of the service-connected Rosai-Dorfman Disease.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated obesity, which in turn caused OSA. The Veteran must provide addendum VA examination opinions.

The Board denied service connection for enlarged prostate, obstructive sleep apnea, and COPD. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during or within one year following active service.,Service connection was denied on the basis of herbicide exposure as there is no listed disease in 38 C.F.R. § 3.309 for which presumptive service connection applies to an enlarged prostate, and the Veteran's statements were not competent evidence.

The Board has determined that there was a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error and the case is being remanded to obtain an addendum VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea was aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, depressive disorder, and insomnia disorder are being remanded due to the need for new medical opinions addressing secondary service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for atrial fibrillation, previously claimed as premature ventricular contractions/irregular heartbeat, was dismissed. The Board also remanded the claims of service connection for hypertension, sleep apnea, and a right hip disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected chronic sinusitis aggravated his claimed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The Veteran needs a new VA examination to address this issue.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for hypertension, a colon condition to include gastritis, ulcers, and intestinal metaplasia, GERD, right hip condition, left hip condition, left ankle condition, right knee condition, and sleep apnea syndrome.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral shin splints, left leg disability, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) disability, abnormal heart / stress disorder, left knee disability, right knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and shoulder disabilities. The Board found that there was no evidence to support the Veteran's claims based on his service records.

The Veteran's right hand disability and unspecified trauma and stressor-related disorder are granted service connection, while sinusitis, lumbosacral strain, right lower extremity radiculopathy, allergic rhinitis, and scarring status post inguinal hernia surgery do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is found to have started during his active duty service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was dismissed because the appellant requested to withdraw their appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including major depressive disorder and adjustment disorder with anxiety), headaches, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and bad teeth are all granted. The claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board has found that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents in Thailand and granted service connection for ischemic heart disease. The issue of secondary service connection for scars status post heart surgery as related to ischemic heart disease is remanded due to a lack of medical examination. The issue of direct service connection for sleep apnea, which may be related to the Veteran's service-connected ischemic heart disease and exposure to herbicide agents in Thailand, is also remanded.