Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Veteran's sleep apnea was diagnosed after service, and the Board has decided that a VA examination is needed to determine if it is related to his military service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that his anxiety disorder permanently aggravated his sleep apnea.

Service connection is denied for hyperopia, astigmatism, sleep apnea, hypertension, bronchiectasis, and hyperlipidemia as there is no evidence of a disease or injury incurred in service.,The Veteran's claimed disabilities are not presumed to be related to exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder disability, right acoustic neuroma, right ear hearing loss, obstructive sleep apnea, and hypertension are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.,New VA examinations will be conducted to determine the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative joint disease is not rated higher than 40 percent, and he was granted TDIU from December 8, 2008 to March 10, 2013.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is granted as service-connected, but his right ear hearing loss does not meet the criteria for VA compensation. The Board has also remanded issues related to his foot/ankle condition, sleep condition (REM behavior disorder and OSA), and acquired psychiatric disorder.,Service connection for the Veteran’s acquired psychiatric disorder remains pending due to its inextricability with the service connection claim for his foot/ankle condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to insufficient medical opinions and missing records. The Veteran is seeking service connection for a bilateral hand disorder (claimed as upper extremity arthritis) and an increased evaluation for his scar post excision of liposarcoma of the suprapubic area.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected allergic rhinitis due to a VA examiner's opinion that the Veteran's sleep apnea is less likely than not proximately due to, or the result of, his allergic rhinitis.

The claim for service connection for plantar fasciitis both feet is reopened, and the appeal is granted to this extent. The claims for service connection for sleep apnea and bilateral foot disability are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PN of both upper extremities is granted. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for sleep apnea is denied. The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for right knee instability and limitation of flexion are remanded. The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for left hand tremors and right hand tremors are remanded. The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the PTSD rating is granted, but his TDIU claim remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is remanded due to the VA examiner not considering all pertinent evidence, including the Veteran's lay statements.

The Board has remanded the claims due to insufficient verification of the Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA). The RO is instructed to contact the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) and determine whether the Veteran was on ACDUTRA during 1999, 2000-01, or 2003. If these periods are confirmed, addendum opinions must be obtained regarding the etiology of any service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's right shoulder and back disabilities are being remanded for new examinations to determine their current severity, as the previous examinations did not fully satisfy the requirements of Correia v. McDonald (2016) and Sharp v. Shulkin (2017).

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for left and right foot conditions, back disability, and obstructive sleep apnea. However, the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his service-connected lumbar spine disability and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to April 4, 2013 for the grant of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was denied as there is no evidence of a formal or informal claim prior to that date.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral pes planus, headaches, an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD, depression, anxiety and acute insomnia), and sleep apnea due to new evidence added after previous decisions.

The Board denied service connection for right and left knee disabilities, congenital pectus excavatum with status post-surgical thoracotomy, and obstructive sleep apnea. The claims are not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for liposarcoma and its complications (right foot drop, angioneurotic edema of the left leg, angioneurotica edema of the right leg, and scar status post-surgery), and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability are all remanded due to need for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for central sleep apnea, finding that it was not incurred during or caused by his active service and was not related to his service-connected bipolar disorder.