Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records related to whether the Veteran was required to pay for his medical expenses while incarcerated. The VA needs to obtain non-medical evidence from the Oklahoma Department of Corrections and other entities.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new opinion is needed regarding whether the Veteran's OSA is related to his service-connected psychiatric disorder or if it was aggravated by it.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sleep apnea, hypertension, and loss of balance due to issues with the examination and opinion provided. The AOJ is instructed to refer the issue of service connection for sleep apnea secondary to a service-connected psychiatric disability (or any other service-connected disability) for an addendum medical opinion.

The Board's May 18, 2020 decision denying service connection for sleep apnea was vacated due to the Veteran not being given a chance to appeal under the AMA Review System.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for obstructive sleep apnea and chronic headaches as secondary to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder due to the need for additional development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus Type II, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, and sleep apnea as secondary to diabetes mellitus Type II. The Veteran's service aboard the U.S.S. Saratoga is being verified to determine if he was exposed to herbicide agents during his service.

The Veteran's fatigue is rated at 10 percent and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.,Service connection for sleep apnea, claimed as sleep disturbance, dizziness, and muscle movement disorder in the eyes are all remanded due to insufficient evidence or lack of proper nexus opinions.,The Veteran's memory loss was granted an increased rating to 30 percent.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, COPD and bronchitis as there was no evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation of a disease or injury.,There is no current diagnosis for either COPD or bronchitis.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected DJD of the lumbosacral spine has been granted, with a final effective date of August 17, 2020. Additionally, an initial rating of 10 percent for residuals of a right fourth metacarpal fracture has also been granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there is no evidence linking his current condition to his active duty service or a service-connected disability. The Board also found insufficient evidence to support secondary service connection of sleep apnea to his major depressive disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a direct relationship between his current condition and his military service. The Board also found insufficient evidence to establish secondary service connection due to his service-connected bilateral knee disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and a kidney disability, including kidney stones and cysts. The Board found that there is no evidence linking these conditions to in-service exposure to acetylene tetrachloride or any other toxin.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, obstructive sleep apnea, and scleroderma due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's service connection claim for these conditions is being reviewed again.

The Veteran's OSA was not incurred in service and the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that it is related to his service. The stomach disability has also not been shown to be related to service.,Service connection for a stomach disability, including as secondary to OSA, is denied because there is no service-connected condition from which the stomach disability could be considered secondary. Service connection for a respiratory disorder (including asthma) is remanded due to incomplete development of exposure history and need for an opinion on etiology.

The Board has denied service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)/Hiatal Hernia, both claimed as secondary to service-connected PTSD with alcohol use disorder. The case is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions to address whether his respiratory disorder and right wrist conditions are related to service-connected sarcoidosis or other in-service exposures. The issues of entitlement to service connection for various ankle and foot disabilities have also been remanded.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected nasal fracture disability, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the onset and etiology of his hypertension, sleep apnea, asthma, and hypothyroidism with morbid obesity.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's headaches, including whether they are caused or aggravated by his service-connected conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for an additional medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lumbosacral strain and because VA treatment records from the Social Security Administration are needed.