Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for heart disability, OSA, and right foot disability due to incomplete records and insufficient opinions in the current record. The Veteran will need to provide updated VA treatment records and complete a VA Form 21-4142 for non-VA medical providers. A new VA examination is needed for each of his conditions.

The Board has determined that there was clear and unmistakable error in the March 30, 2010 rating decision which denied service connection for sleep apnea. The decision is amended to grant service connection for obstructive sleep apnea from June 23, 2009.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disorder is rated at 40 percent disabling for the period on appeal from July 2, 2010. The Board finds that there is no evidence of unfavorable ankylosis in the thoracolumbar spine to warrant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and need for further medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current sleep apnea is not related to his service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea is granted as it is at least as likely as not that the condition began during his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, and the appeal for an increased rating is denied. The Board has also remanded cases involving service connection for left wrist condition, right foot condition, carpal tunnel syndrome, sinusitis, sleep apnea, and hypertension.

The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine is currently rated at 40 percent from April 28, 2008 to March 8, 2020. The claim for a higher rating is denied from March 9, 2020 forward.

The Board denied service connection for OSA as the evidence did not show it was incurred in or related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sleep apnea, heart disease, and hypertension due to lack of evidence or further development is needed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of a diagnosis during service and insufficient evidence linking current sleep apnea to service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to failure to appear for VA examinations. The issues include a rating increase for deviated nasal septum, service connection for psychiatric disorders, sleep apnea, and eye conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 40 percent from December 8, 2010 for myofascial lumbosacral pain syndrome with degenerative changes including consideration of the appropriate rating for associated neurological impairments due to incomplete development and lack of specific information regarding incapacitating episodes.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a left shoulder condition, headaches, sinus condition, and sleep apnea have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for a sinus condition and sleep apnea.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea and remanded the issue of an earlier effective date for lumbar spine disability. The case is now pending with the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ).

The Board denied service connection for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome due to Gulf War service, attributing the Veteran's symptoms to OSA.,Service connection was also denied for GERD (claimed as gastrointestinal symptoms) due to Gulf War service. The VA examiner concluded that there is no causal relationship between the Veteran’s GERD and his service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The Board found the evidence in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's lumbosacral epidural abscess, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, left ankle osteoarthritis, and bilateral hearing loss were incurred during active duty service or active duty for training. The Board remanded to obtain additional records and conduct further medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbosacral spine disability, which is considered secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities. The TDIU issue is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a sleep disorder, including obstructive sleep apnea, due to incomplete records from his private physician. The case will be returned for further development.