Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a cervical spine disability, increased ratings for lumbosacral and right shoulder disabilities, and TDIU due to unresolved issues regarding these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disability and sleep apnea, finding no current evidence of these conditions during the appeal period.

Service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea is denied.,Service connection for a Left Hip Disability and Right Side Carpal Tunnel Syndrome are granted.,An earlier effective date, new and material evidence for service connection for bilateral knee conditions and numbness disabilities, and increased ratings for lumbar spine disability, left ankle disability, and PTSD (prior to June 13, 2017) are dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the severity of his lumbosacral strain with arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine between March 22, 2016 and July 24, 2019. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the rating issue.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural and duty to assist errors, as well as incomplete records of treatment for the Veteran's lumbosacral spine disability. The appeal is now before the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as anxiety disorder, is granted service connection.,Service connection for migraine headaches is granted based on new and material evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete VA medical records and procedural errors in previous decisions.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome and lumbosacral strain, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to service. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities, including obstructive sleep apnea with hypersomnia, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Board has granted the Veteran's application for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for RYSDOM, sleep apnea, hypertension, and stroke/aneurysm due to incomplete development of records and need for medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for a disability rating greater than 40 percent for a lumbosacral spine disability, an allowance for aid and attendance for his dependent spouse, a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU), and service connection for a bilateral hip disability were denied due to the untimely filing of his VA Form 9.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran is already compensated for insomnia as a symptom of his PTSD, and there was no evidence of an earlier effective date for fibromyalgia or left knee patellofemoral syndrome. Service connection for photophobia, TBI, IBS, sleep apnea, migraine headaches, and GERD were not established based on the provided medical opinions.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain, right knee patellofemoral syndrome, and left knee patellofemoral syndrome are rated at 10 percent. The Board has determined that further VA examinations of the Veteran’s lumbar spine and right and left knee disabilities are needed to determine their current severity.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and a visual acuity disability, as well as his claim for TDIU prior to February 3, 2011. The decision also found that the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is proximately caused by or aggravated beyond its natural progression by his service-connected unspecified depressive disorder, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding his entitlement to SMC based on the need of aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities, as well as for a new VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his headaches.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for COPD, sleep apnea, frostbite residuals, and tinnitus as these conditions have been fully granted in a previous rating decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea during his period of service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and asthma caused his obesity, which in turn led to his sleep apnea. The AOJ must obtain a new opinion on this issue before deciding the claim.