Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for left ankle condition, lumbosacral strain, and acquired psychiatric disorder due to potential aggravation by service-connected right ankle condition. The VA examiners are instructed to provide opinions on whether these conditions were caused or aggravated by the right ankle condition.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and remanded the issue of service connection for a left knee disability as secondary to psoriasis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including chronic kidney disease with essential hypertension and bronchial asthma, COPD, and obstructive sleep apnea, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The case is remanded for further examination and rating considerations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient or conflicting medical evidence regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to his active duty service.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of service connection for a right thumb disorder and sleep apnea due to additional development being required.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for residuals of a right thumb injury, but the case is remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding service connection for sleep apnea and to assess the severity of the right thumb disability. The issues of TDIU are also being addressed.

The Veteran's left knee meniscal tear with arthroscopic repair is granted service connection.,Service connection for a respiratory disorder and sleep apnea are granted, but the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and major depressive disorder) remains pending due to insufficient evidence at this time.,The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is granted, and the case is remanded to determine if it is secondary to PTSD.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for headache disability and sleep apnea have been reopened, but the Board has determined that new evidence is needed to fully adjudicate these claims. The Veteran's headaches may be related to his service-connected sinusitis or now service-connected sleep apnea. Increased ratings are also requested for left and right ankle pain and sinusitis.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for a lumbar spine condition, finding that the appellant's current conditions are not related to an in-service injury and were more likely due to his age. The L5 sacralization was determined to be a congenital defect.

The Board has found that additional development is needed before the claims can be adjudicated on the merits. The RO must attempt to obtain VA treatment records from Overton Brooks VA Medical Center and private medical providers, including Dr. M. Dhawan in Shreveport, Louisiana.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and residuals of heat stroke due to inadequate opinions in the original VA examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and COPD, finding that the earliest date of claim was August 15, 2012 for sleep apnea and November 25, 2014 for COPD.

The Board has remanded the claims for rheumatoid arthritis, sleep apnea, and diabetes mellitus due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset or etiology. The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis is presumed to have been caused by contaminated water exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has remanded the claims for lung disability, headaches, sleep apnea, hypertension, and esophagus disability due to incomplete search efforts for service medical records. The Veteran is required to provide additional information or evidence.

The Board has remanded the cases of sleep apnea and low back disorder for additional VA medical opinions. The decision on initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss remains denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as there is no evidence that OSA began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease. The preponderance of the evidence supports this conclusion.

The Veteran withdrew his claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, and the appeal is dismissed.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient information regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lumbar radiculopathy and DDD. The Veteran needs a VA examination to determine if these conditions are related to his active duty service.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of June 24, 2009 for the award of a 40 percent rating for service-connected low back strain with lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease and arthritis.