Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea and PTSD as they are related to service. Additional evidence is needed, including updated VA and private treatment records, and a new examination by an appropriate clinician.

The Board denied service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and depression, finding that the Veteran's current conditions were not incurred in or caused by active duty service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is denied because there is no evidence that OSA was incurred or aggravated by his military service, including exposure to the Persian Gulf environment. The VA examiner found that OSA is not related to his in-service period of service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for asthma and hemoptysis, sleep apnea, and PTSD due to lack of medical opinions linking these conditions to his military service or claimed exposures. The Veteran is also asked to provide more details about any personal assault stressors.

The Veteran's appeals for a compensable rating for erectile dysfunction and higher-level SMC were dismissed. The appeal seeking service connection for right elbow disability, left elbow disability, cervical strain, lumbar strain, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), increased ratings for cervical strain, lumbar strain, and right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as service connection for right shoulder disability and left shoulder disability were all dismissed. The Veteran's claim for a total (100 percent) disability rating for PTSD was granted with an effective date of December 10, 2011.,The Veteran’s appeals for increased ratings for cervical strain, lumbar strain, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) were remanded. The appeal seeking service connection for a right shoulder disability was also remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for cardiomyopathy, left knee condition, and sleep apnea. Service connection was denied for a back condition.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, and GERD as the evidence did not establish current diagnoses or a link to service.

The Board has decided to remand several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including reopening service connection for allergic rhinitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, determining a rating for low back disability, and examining the etiology of sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claims for sleep apnea, an increased rating for PTSD, and a prior effective date for PTSD are being remanded due to unclear appeal status.

The Veteran's appeals on the merits have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder with anxiety and panic attacks is found to be secondary to his service-connected peripheral vascular disease of the lower extremities. Service connection for emboli to both lungs, post-phlebitic syndrome with peripheral vascular disease of the left and right lower extremities, and heart condition (cardiomegaly) are all granted. The Veteran's back disability and sleep apnea claims remain denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were dismissed due to his request to withdraw from appeal, and the RO confirmed previous decisions.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and relationship of sleep apnea and rectal bleeding (hemorrhoids) to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for acne vulgaris has been reopened and granted. Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is also granted, but the issue of a skin condition (acne rosacea and blepharitis) remains remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a VA examination to determine if his sleep apnea is caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a low back condition, sciatica (secondary to low back condition), and sleep apnea. The claim for service connection for keloids of the left shoulder is also remanded.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, low blood pressure, and blisters as there is no evidence of a current disability meeting VA criteria.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain with degenerative joint disease has been denied. The Board also remanded several other claims related to service connection.

The Veteran's lumbosacral dual level discogenic disease and right lower extremity radiculopathy are granted as service connected.

The Veteran's petition to reopen service connection for glaucoma has been granted, but the claim remains denied. The Board has also remanded cases related to bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as obstructive sleep apnea secondary to PTSD, due to incomplete records. Service connection for malignant melanoma of the left forearm and right leg is also being remanded.