Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that it is not secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and there is no causal relationship between the two conditions.

The Board denied service connection for gastrointestinal and lumbosacral spine disorders, finding that the Veteran's current conditions did not manifest in service or within one year thereafter and are not otherwise related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected status post partial thyroidectomy, which caused obesity.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, acid reflux, erectile dysfunction, and hypertension due to inextricably intertwined issues. The examiner is asked to provide a new opinion on whether the Veteran's schizophrenia was aggravated by his period of ACDUTRA.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cardiovascular disease and sleep apnea due to service, as well as their relationship to herbicide exposure. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there is no evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation of obstructive sleep apnea and no competent evidence showing it is proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient discussion of the Veteran's specific reports of snoring following her jaw surgery and its association with her mixed sleep apnea. The VA examiner is asked to provide an opinion on whether the Veteran’s complex sleep apnea, including obstructive sleep apnea, is related to her active duty service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings on several service-connected conditions have been withdrawn. The appeal for a higher rating for PTSD has been denied.

The Board has determined that there was a pre-decisional duty to assist error due to the lack of an adequate medical opinion addressing the issue of nexus for the Veteran's current back condition. The case is being remanded for further development and consideration.

The Board denied service connection for left knee strain with patellofemoral pain syndrome and lumbosacral strain, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for retinitis pigmentosa was granted with an effective date of January 25, 2002. However, the grant of SMC based on blindness in both eyes is denied as the Veteran does not have a disability rating constituting blindness prior to February 27, 2009.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a broken nose (also claimed as fall off 7 ton) has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical spine arthritis (claimed as neck pain) is being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board denied service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis did not have its onset during service or was related to an in-service injury or disease.,Service connection for Lumbar Spine Disability is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for his lumbosacral strain is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess current severity and functional loss.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left shoulder strain, right and left knee disorders, right and left hip disorders, sleep apnea, and insomnia are all granted. The Board found that the current diagnoses of these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, increased rating for lumbar spine disability, and initial compensable rating for bilateral feet disabilities have all been denied. The Board found that there was no evidence of in-service incurrence or a nexus to service for the diabetes claim, and the current ratings were deemed appropriate for the lumbar spine and bilateral feet disabilities.

The Veteran's rosacea is rated at 10 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating as his condition did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the revised skin disability evaluation criteria.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for secondary service connection for sleep apnea, finding that his back condition aggravates his diagnosed sleep apnea.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities make him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of a TDIU.

The Board has determined that new evidence received after the January 2012 denial warrants readjudication of the claim for service connection for lumbar spine disability. The case is now remanded to determine if the Veteran's current lumbar spine disability is related to his military service.