Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for sleep apnea, a psychiatric disorder (including anxiety, depression, and PTSD), and a left shoulder disability due to inadequate medical opinions and need for further development.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues include service connection for left shoulder disorder, cervical spine disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, and an increased rating for depressive disorder.

The Veteran's service connection claims for OSA, TBI, and PTSD have been granted. The rating for PTSD has also been increased to 70 percent.

The Veteran's hypertension is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding its etiology.,The Veteran's zoster herpes simplex is remanded to determine if it is related to his in-service treatment for viral meningitis.,The Veteran's blurred vision is remanded to determine if it is related to diabetes.,The Veteran's sleep apnea is remanded to determine if it is related to diabetes.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to missing records and need for further examination. The issues include pulmonary disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and TDIU.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and his service, as well as its relation to any pre-existing conditions.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain, degenerative arthritis, and degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine are caused by his service-connected right knee instability and degenerative arthritis.,There is at least a reasonable doubt as to whether the Veteran's left knee degenerative arthritis is caused by his service-connected right knee instability and degenerative arthritis. The evidence is approximately evenly balanced on this issue.,The Veteran's left carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by his service-connected right carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a claim based on an undiagnosed Gulf War illness and that the Veteran's current diagnosed conditions are attributable to known clinical diagnoses.,Service connection was also denied for a right knee condition, as there is no in-service injury or disease linked to the current condition. The Board found that the right knee condition is not proximately due to, or aggravated by, service-connected left knee disability and/or low back disorder.,Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was granted based on evidence showing it began during service.,Service connection for Barrett’s esophagus was denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis that can be linked to service.,Prostate cancer was denied as the Veteran's condition did not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection under 38 C.F.R. § 3.317.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, sleep disorder (including sleep apnea), left ear hearing loss, erectile dysfunction, and a disability manifested by sensitivity to light and noise due to insufficient evidence or need for further examination.

This decision denies service connection for sleep apnea and memory issues, as well as an initial compensable rating prior to November 7, 2016 and a rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter for mild quadricep strain of the right lower extremity. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for glaucoma and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support a link to service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including back disability, lung disability, CFS, sleep apnea, hypertension, IBS, and migraine headaches, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain and depressive disorder, as well as her increased rating claim for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome. These issues will be addressed in a future examination.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, sleep apnea, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus as the evidence did not show a current disability or a relationship to service.,Service connection was not granted for any of the conditions due to lack of medical evidence showing a current disability related to service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and obstructive sleep apnea have been denied as there is no evidence of these conditions in service or a link to his active duty, including presumed herbicide exposure. The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s COPD and OSA were less likely than not due to his active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ear hearing loss disability is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for service-connected tinnitus is denied as the maximum schedular evaluation has been assigned.

The Board has determined that additional VA examinations are needed to determine the current existence and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral knee, ankle, hand pain and numbness, and sleep apnea disabilities. The claims for service connection will be remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep apnea, a back disability, and a respiratory disability due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset or relationship to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is denied because the evidence does not show that his sleep apnea began during service or was caused by an in-service event, including a personal assault.