Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's OSA, as well as a need for a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) examination. The Veteran is presumed to have had toxic exposure during his service in Southwest Asia.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, residuals of throat/nasal surgery, and low back pain require additional development due to incomplete medical opinions.

The Veteran's bilateral plantar calcaneal spurs, degenerative changes of the feet (claimed as flat feet and residuals of broken toes), degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and sleep apnea are found to have begun during service. The appeal is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development of evidence and need for a new VA examination. The Veteran's service connection claim for lumbosacral spine disability is being reviewed, with particular focus on his in-service motor vehicle accident and potential Agent Orange exposure.

Your appeal for service connection of a heart disability and sleep apnea has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for right wrist disability, gastroesophageal reflux disease (Barrett's esophagus), and sleep apnea. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea, as well as whether his service-connected bilateral knee condition caused or aggravated weight gain/obesity.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's OSA is secondary to his service-connected disabilities, with obesity as an intermediate step. The VA needs to obtain a new opinion from a qualified sleep specialist addressing both proximate causation and aggravation by hypertension and PTSD.

The Board has determined that additional evidence was received and must be considered in the context of the Veteran's claims for increased initial disability ratings. The appeal is being remanded to allow for a full review of the claims.

The Board has found that there was not substantial compliance with its remand directives and has ordered additional development to address the Veteran's claim for service connection of sleep apnea.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, including as secondary to service-connected disabilities. The VA examiner's opinions were inadequate and a new opinion is required.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder and allergic rhinitis and sinusitis have been granted service connection.,A 20 percent disability rating, but no higher, has been granted for the Veteran's left thumb fracture.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were dismissed. The claim of service connection for PTSD was denied due to uncorroborated stressors, but the claim for bipolar disorder and other specified trauma- and stressor-related disorder was granted. The claim for heart disability (atrial fibrillation with bradycardia and coronary artery disease) resulted in a 60% rating.

The Board granted service connection for gout and denied it for bilateral hearing loss, while remanding the claims for left temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), obstructive sleep apnea, Barrett's esophagus, and sinusitis.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to address the issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The March 2023 VA examination and September 2023 addendum did not adequately address this issue.

The Veteran's request for service connection for OSA was granted, and he is now rated at 20% for his right shoulder degenerative arthritis. The TDIU rating remains in effect. The case of chronic pancreatitis has been remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues include back disability, OSA, and GI disability.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, left foot disability, right hand disability, and right knee disability due to a full grant of benefits in a February 2021 rating decision. The appeals regarding obstructive sleep apnea and lower back disability are remanded.

The Board has determined that the development conducted does not adequately comply with the prior remand and thus, the case is being returned to the AOJ for further action.