Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations. The issues include sleep apnea, hypertension, gastrointestinal disability, left leg disability, right leg disability, PTSD, and TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is caused by medications taken for his service-connected Reiter’s syndrome. The issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea remains pending and requires further action.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board granted TDIU from January 1, 2013.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as the evidence did not show it was related to active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and developing a radiation dose assessment. The examiner will be asked to determine if there is at least as likely as not that his sleep apnea is related to in-service exposure to ionizing radiation, asbestos, diet, sleep habits, and headaches.

The Veteran's right great toe degenerative changes are presumed to have been incurred in service. The Veteran is granted a rating of 60 percent for coronary artery disease status-post myocardial infarction from July 3, 2013 to November 3, 2015.

The Veteran's lumbosacral spine disability was granted an increased rating to 40 percent, effective April 23, 2009. The issue of entitlement to TDIU remains pending.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is proximately due to or a result of his service-connected degenerative joint disease and cervical spondylosis, thus granting service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities due to a lack of recent examinations. The Veteran needs to undergo VA examinations for his sleep apnea, psychiatric symptoms, bilateral hearing loss, hemorrhoids, GERD, and allergic rhinitis.

The Board has remanded the claim for additional medical opinions to determine if the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to service, and whether it is secondary to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition and right hip condition, as secondary to his left knee condition due to insufficient medical opinions in prior examinations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of records. The Board cannot make a fully-informed decision on these issues without further evidence.

The Veteran's initial rating for sleep apnea is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the February 2014 VA examination, which did not address the use of a CPAP machine and the presence of daytime hypersomnolence.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is aggravated by his service-connected COPD.

The Veteran's sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, and restless leg syndrome are all found to be secondary to service-connected PTSD. The Veteran's palate salivary gland cancer is found to be due to exposure to herbicide agent (to include agent orange).,Service connection for the Veteran’s conditions has been granted.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and fairly consider the merits of the Veteran's claims, including service connection for various conditions and effective date determinations.

The Board has remanded both issues due to the need for a new VA examination, consideration of extraschedular evaluation, and referral to the Director of Compensation Service for an extraschedular TDIU rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and aortic valve stenosis due to inadequate opinions from the October 2018 VA examiner. The Veteran is also seeking service connection for his cardiac disability, presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that the provided medical opinion is inadequate and requires an addendum to address whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected PTSD, as well as if it is aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to be at least as likely as not proximately due to or aggravated by his use of medication for PTSD, resulting in OSA. The Veteran also has a 100% rating for PTSD from December 11, 2010, to October 23, 2018.