Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for further development to verify service dates and obtain medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions. The issues of service connection are still pending.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, tinnitus, and LBBB. The Veteran's claim for left knee and right knee disabilities is also remanded. The effective date of the increased rating for LBBB remains August 28, 2014.

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea, as secondary to service-connected asthma, due to insufficient opinion regarding aggravation. The Veteran and his representative have presented arguments suggesting a possible causal relationship between asthma and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea is granted. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise that the condition began during service.,Service connection for depression is denied as there is no current diagnosis of this condition.

The Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is granted because the evidence shows that OSA began during active service and there are no disputes regarding this.

The Veteran's skin conditions are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and medical opinion, as well as consideration of service treatment records and post-service VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, and sleep apnea due to inadequate VA examinations. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not combine to preclude substantially gainful employment, as the VA examiners found that her conditions do not prevent her from performing sedentary work.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened, but the evidence does not meet the criteria to establish a current disability.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD has been reopened, but the evidence does not meet the criteria to establish a current disability.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, bilateral knee disorders, and lumbosacral spine disorder have all been reopened. The additional evidence raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea has been remanded due to the need for a VA examination.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of sleep apnea began during active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea had its onset during his active duty service and granted service connection for a sleep disorder.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for residuals of venereal warts with erectile dysfunction was denied. The Board also found that the claim for service connection for sleep apnea to include as secondary to service-connected bronchitis, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, pharyngitis and tonsillitis needs further examination due to inadequate previous examination.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's sleep apnea is not secondary to his service-connected depressive disorder, but an addendum opinion is needed to determine if it is aggravated by this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left shoulder disorder, back disorder and Meniere’s syndrome with residuals of vertigo.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea likely began during his military service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded several issues related to effective dates for service connection and disability ratings. The Veteran must be provided with a Statement of the Case (SOC) on these matters, and if he files a timely substantive appeal, they will be returned to the Board.

The Board denied service connection for an eye disability, finding that the Veteran's retinitis pigmentosa predated service and was not aggravated by service. The claim was reopened due to new evidence submitted since the last denial.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD), and sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence or lack of a nexus opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected psychiatric disorders, specifically PTSD and anxiety disorder. As a result, the claim for secondary service connection for sleep apnea is granted.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination. The Veteran's service records show he reported trouble sleeping during his military service, and private treatment records indicate he was diagnosed with sleep apnea in 1994. However, no VA examination has been conducted on this issue.