Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as service-connected, and he is awarded a separate 20 percent rating for his right lower extremity sciatica associated with lumbosacral strain. The Veteran's lumbosacral strain remains at a 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied in November 2010, and the effective date of the subsequent grants was set at June 11, 2018.

The Veteran's lumbosacral spine disability is granted at a 40 percent evaluation, effective March 2, 2010. The right and left lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities are each granted at a 40 percent evaluation beginning March 25, 2016.

The Veteran's appeals regarding increased ratings for left knee total arthroplasty and bilateral hearing loss have been dismissed because the Veteran withdrew his appeal in December 2019.

The Board has reopened the claims of entitlement to service connection for left ear hearing loss and sleep apnea, but did not grant any other service connection claims. The Veteran's nephrolithiasis is currently rated at 30% under Diagnostic Code 7508.

The Board has denied service connection for a back disability and remanded the cases of asthma and obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran's current conditions are currently not related to his military service.

The reduction from a 60 percent to a 30 percent disability rating for bronchial asthma was improper, and the Veteran's original 60 percent rating is restored. Separate ratings for bronchial asthma and sleep apnea were granted in September 2011.

The Veteran's back and neck disabilities were denied increased ratings.,His right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy was also denied an increased rating, but he received a compensable initial disability rating for his right upper and left upper extremity radiculopathies.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea became manifest during his service and is therefore granted as service connected.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for sleep apnea, left shoulder degenerative joint disease with a history of rotator cuff repair, right shoulder degenerative joint disease with a history of rotator cuff repair, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease status post laminectomy, right knee degenerative joint disease and meniscus tear, status post repair, and hypertension. The remand is due to the need for additional development regarding these issues.,The Veteran's service connection claims have been previously addressed by the Board in February 2016 and February 2018, with further remands made in those decisions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for Type II Diabetes Mellitus and OSA due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The AOJ is instructed to verify the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents at Kadena Air Base while stationed there, and schedule a VA examination to assess whether his OSA is related to active duty service or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's service connection claim for sleep apnea, as secondary to PTSD, is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions and need for updated treatment records.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claim for service connection for a sleep disorder, including both sleep apnea and an acquired psychiatric sleep disorder. The case will be remanded to obtain VA treatment records, verify stressor events, and schedule a VA examination.

The Veteran's sleep apnea was found to have begun during his active service, and the Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection has been dismissed as the RO issued a Statement of the Case continuing the current evaluations and denying the claims.,The Veteran did not file a substantive appeal, thus the Board lacks jurisdiction to review these issues.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disability, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and sleep apnea. The Veteran's current diagnoses were not related to his active military service.,Service connection was not granted because the preponderance of evidence did not support a finding that the disabilities began during service or were otherwise related to in-service events.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for asthma, sleep apnea, and psychiatric disabilities (including PTSD and depression) due to a lack of recent VA examinations. The Veteran is required to provide updated treatment records and undergo VA examinations to assess these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea was denied in an April 2017 Board decision. The new evidence submitted includes a medical treatise and an August 2017 VA medical opinion, which the Board finds to be both new and material. The case is remanded for a medical opinion on whether the Veteran's currently diagnosed sleep apnea is caused or aggravated by his service-connected chronic rhinitis.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting new examinations to assess her left knee and lumbar spine disabilities. The issues of higher ratings for bronchial asthma, chronic lumbosacral paraspinal spasms, instability of the left knee, and left knee meniscal tear are all remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to his service-connected traumatic brain injury. The Veteran needs a VA examination to determine this relationship.