Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and sleep apnea with mild intermittent asthma have been rated at 100 percent since February 20, 2014. As a result, the claim for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is now moot.

The Veteran's claims for ED, BHL, tinnitus, OSA, and depression are reopened. The Board has remanded several issues including increased ratings and effective dates. Service connection is granted for OSA but denied for BHL and tinnitus. Depression is service connected.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient examination and because of the Veteran's statements indicating fatigue and sleep problems during service.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, achilles tendonitis, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, low back disability, pes planus, bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, edema of the lower extremities, residuals of a head injury, migraine headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica of the left leg, and psychiatric disorder manifested by a head injury, all related to Reserve service. The Board found that there was no evidence of disease or injury incurred in or aggravated during ACDUTRA or INACDUTRA.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for death pension benefits and has remanded the issue of service connection for cause of death due to sepsis.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the earliest documentation of the condition occurred more than two years after the Veteran left active service and that the March 2014 VA medical opinion was most probative.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to additional relevant evidence being added to his claims file.

The Board denied service connection for lumbosacral strain with spinal fusion and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, finding that it was not incurred in or caused by active service. The claim for a rating of 20 percent for residuals of thoracic spine injury was granted.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD prior to September 20, 2016 and 70 percent thereafter is denied. The Board finds that the Veteran’s sleep apnea should be remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for acne is granted. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for sleep apnea due to a lack of a VA examination.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's OSA is related to his service-connected CAD or COPD, and remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, type II; low back disorder; sleep apnea; and acquired psychiatric disorder (including major depressive disorder and PTSD) have been reopened. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine is at least as likely as not related to an injury sustained during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, type II, is denied.,Service connection for a low back disability is denied.,Service connection for left hip, right hip, left knee, and right knee disabilities are all denied.,Service connection for skeletal arthritis is denied.,Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities (left and right) and upper extremities (left and right) is denied.,Service connection for ischemic heart disease is denied.,Service connection for bilateral kidney disability is denied.,Service connection for a bilateral eye condition (diabetic retinopathy) is denied.,Service connection for sleep apnea is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, left thumb disability, knee disabilities, hearing loss, sleep disorder (including sleep apnea), and erectile dysfunction are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of mild obstructive sleep apnea is related to his in-service symptoms and treatment. The claim was reopened due to new evidence received since the previous denial.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for glaucoma, sleep apnea, hypertension, endocrine disability, and psychiatric disability. The claim for service connection for a headache disability is granted.

The Board denied service connection for left hand, right hand, left shoulder, and right shoulder conditions due to a lack of evidence linking these disabilities to the Veteran's active duty service.,Service connection was also denied for sleep apnea as there is no evidence that it began during service or is related to any in-service injury.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including for ischemic heart disease, tinnitus, COPD, emphysema, sleep apnea, hypertension, skin condition, headaches, memory loss, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The appeals are now pending with VA for further review.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU have been remanded due to the submission of new evidence since the last supplemental statement of the case.