Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has reopened several service connection claims but denied others. The Veteran's PTSD with insomnia, depression, tinnitus, low back disability, and neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities are now granted. However, his hypertension, bilateral foot disabilities, sleep apnea, right and left upper and lower extremity neuropathies, and heart disability remain denied.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected lumbosacral strain is denied.,Service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy is denied as it is not related to the service-connected lumbosacral strain.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral idiopathic neuropathy and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) are remanded, as well as his claim for TDIU.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not causally related to his active service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's PTSD, headaches, and sleep apnea are all found to be related to his service. The appeals for these conditions have been granted.,Service connection is established for PTSD, headaches, and sleep apnea.

The Board has revised the December 12, 1996 rating decision to grant service connection for thoracic and lumbosacral spine disabilities effective October 10, 1996. The claim was reopened due to new evidence provided in 1996.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and rectal bleeding due to incomplete development. The AOJ must ensure that any new examination reports comply with previous remand directives, then readjudicate the cases.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for sleep apnea with bronchitis and persistent cough is granted at 100 percent. The Veteran also receives special monthly compensation (SMC) due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, erectile dysfunction, diabetes mellitus, type II, asthma, sleep apnea and heart disability is remanded due to the submission of new evidence. The low back disability claim is also remanded.

The Board denied service connection for right ankle disability, left ankle disability, lumbosacral strain, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or were related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,The Veteran's assertions of continuity of symptoms since service were found to be less credible due to inconsistencies with medical records.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for numbness and pain in the left upper extremity was granted. However, her appeals for other conditions were dismissed.,Service connection for OSA and low back disability were denied.

The Veteran has withdrawn all his claims for service connection and increased ratings, including those related to low back disorder, neck disorder, sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, bilateral hearing loss disability, residual scar on forehead, and a temporary total rating based on convalescence for a back surgery.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions and new theories of entitlement raised by the Veteran.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, finding that the Veteran's current condition was not incurred in or related to his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated as noncompensable. The case is remanded for additional development.,Service connection for a pulmonary disability and sleep apnea are both remanded due to incomplete development of the claims.,Service connection for sleep apnea, which may be secondary to service-connected PTSD, is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical examination and a need for further development regarding whether the Veteran's current back disability is related to his in-service accident.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for her back condition and for service connection for an abdominal condition has been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and a mood disorder, related to military sexual trauma (MST), has been granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating greater than 10 percent for asbestosis and service connection for sleep apnea, to include as secondary to his service-connected asbestosis. The Veteran is required to report for VA examinations to determine the current severity of his asbestosis and the etiology of his sleep apnea.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining a medical opinion on whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his service-connected lumbar spine and/or knee disabilities or due to exposure to burn pits in Southwest Asia.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on several conditions have been withdrawn. The claims for right ankle disability, chronic kidney disability, and PTSD rating are being remanded due to the need for additional examination or evidence. The claim for chronic kidney disease has been reopened based on new evidence.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and right knee disability are being remanded for further examination and rating considerations.