Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened, but service connection remains denied.,Service connection is denied for left shoulder arthritis and leg pain as these conditions are not related to active duty service or a service-connected disability.,Service connection for sleep apnea is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,Diabetes mellitus, type II, was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service. Service connection is also denied.,Headaches and PTSD are not etiologically related to the Veteran’s active duty service.,Service connection for depression has been granted with staged initial ratings from October 2, 2013.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete service treatment records, specifically those from February 2016 indicating they are in 'Oakland'. These records need to be obtained.

The petition to reopen the claim for service connection for a right knee disability is granted. The decision on asthma, lower back disability, left knee disability, and sleep apnea claims are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea has been reopened, and the Board finds that remand is necessary to obtain a medical opinion regarding whether his sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected COPD, sinusitis, or allergic rhinitis. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further adjudication.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a sleep disorder, including upper airway resistance syndrome and sleep apnea, is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability that manifested during active service or is otherwise causally related to his military service. The Board found the Veteran does not have a separate sleep disorder caused by his service-connected PTSD, coronary artery disease, or low back disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for sclerotic changes and vascular calcifications with mild degenerative changes in the left tibial metaphysis, but denied service connection for chondrosarcoma.

The Veteran's low back condition warrants a disability rating in excess of 10 percent, and the Board has ordered a remand to determine its current severity.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right eye disorder, sleep apnea, and heart disorders. The Board also remanded the issues of service connection for left hip and right knee osteoarthritis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between his service-connected conditions and his sleep apnea.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain due to spina bifida occulta and degenerative disc disease have been rated at 40 percent since October 31, 2011. The TDIU has also been granted effective from that date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are not supported by the evidence and have been denied. The issues of service connection for a right leg disability, PTSD, back disability, sleep apnea, and unspecified depressive disorder with unspecified schizophrenia remain in remand status due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Board has determined that further development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, right knee Baker’s cyst, and right knee medial compartment osteoarthritis. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions addressing whether these conditions are related to his service-connected PTSD or in-service peroneal nerve palsy.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to the need for additional medical examinations and records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right foot disability is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,Service connection for low back, neck, left knee, and right knee disabilities are remanded due to incomplete personnel records and the need for clarification on the dates of events claimed by the Veteran.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral eye disability is remanded as there are outstanding private treatment records that have not been obtained.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, and coronary artery disease (status-post CABG) are remanded due to incomplete personnel records and the need for clarification on the dates of events claimed by the Veteran.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is remanded as there are outstanding VA treatment records that have not been obtained.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, depressive disorder, headaches, and hypertension as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected chronic bronchitis. The appeal is remanded for a VA examination regarding the evaluation of the service-connected chronic bronchitis.

The Veteran's application to reopen a claim of service connection for respiratory disability was granted, and an effective date of March 22, 2015, but no earlier, was assigned for the award of an increased (10 percent) rating for arthritis of the lumbosacral spine. The application to increase the Veteran's right patellofemoral pain syndrome and patellar chondromalacia, status post arthroscopic medial meniscal debridement with scars, from 10 percent to a higher rating was remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine and cervical spine are being remanded due to outstanding private medical records from Dr. D., which have not been obtained.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, lumbar spine disorder, hypertension, and chronic headache disorder are granted. The claim for a right foot disorder (excluding residuals of a right ankle fracture) is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, finding no direct nexus to his time in service and no aggravation of a pre-existing condition. The Board also found that there was no evidence linking the sleep apnea to his service-connected depressive disorder.