Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, colon cancer, COPD, heart disability, sleep apnea, peptic ulcer, hydrocele, type II diabetes mellitus, urothelial cancer (claimed as bladder cancer), cervical spine disability, peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, right knee disability, and left knee disability. The cause of death claim is also remanded.

The Board granted service connection for a back disorder and reopened the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, anxiety, and adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depression. The remaining claims were denied.

The Veteran's lumbosacral spondylolisthesis and spondylosis of the lumbosacral spine have been granted a compensable initial rating (10%) effective May 13, 2011.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and failure to address certain aspects of the Veteran's claim, including his service treatment records and his contentions about snoring and breathing problems during sleep.

The Board has determined that remand is necessary due to inadequate medical opinions and the need for additional evidence. The Veteran's OSA may have had its onset in service, but there is insufficient evidence to determine if it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sleep apnea and hypertension due to issues with the addendum opinions provided. The Veteran's sleep apnea may or may not be caused by his service-connected asthma, and the hypertension claim is also inextricably intertwined with the sleep apnea issue.

The Board has denied a higher rating for PTSD and has remanded the issue of service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea, specifically whether it is related to service or secondary to his service-connected PTSD with claustrophobia.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, finding that his OSA was aggravated by his diabetes.

The Board has denied service connection for a bilateral hand condition and remanded the issues of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and shin splints.

The Board has remanded the claims for an extraschedular rating for lumbosacral strain and a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The back claim is being remanded for a medical opinion on whether the dizziness experienced by the Veteran is related to his medication for the service-connected condition, or if it represents a separate disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, bladder condition, and left ear hearing loss due to incomplete medical opinions and new evidence.

The Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is granted as the evidence shows that he had symptoms of OSA in service and after, which continued.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right and left elbow conditions, obstructive sleep apnea, knee conditions, ankle conditions, shin splints, and low back condition. The decision also noted that the Veteran's PTSD has been granted with an initial rating of 70 percent since September 20, 2013.

The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in the examiner's opinions regarding the onset and aggravation of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) by posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine has been rated at 20 percent prior to March 14, 2020 and increased to 40 percent thereafter. The claim is remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, spondylolisthesis, and lumbosacral spine strain with bilateral radiculopathy (claimed as sciatic nerve condition), finding that there was no nexus between his current conditions and his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to her service-connected PTSD. The VA needs to obtain updated treatment records and provide an addendum opinion considering secondary service connection.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for an adequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran claims his symptoms began in service and he uses a CPAP machine now.