Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing on his claim of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea. The hypertension issue will be addressed in conjunction with this process.

The Board has remanded the case due to failure to appear for a scheduled examination and lack of proper notice. The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep disorder, including sleep apnea, is now before the Board.

The Veteran's lung conditions, including asthma and sleep apnea, are presumed to have been incurred during service. The heart condition is also presumed to be related to service.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to have had its onset during his military service and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is not related to his active service and therefore denied the claim.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and an examination to determine if any of the claimed conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions on the etiology of the Veteran's skin disorders and considering a possible secondary service connection claim.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to evaluate the Veteran's right ankle disability. The claim for TDIU is also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequate previous medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and diabetes mellitus could have aggravated his sleep apnea.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain updated VA examinations and additional medical records. The claims for increased evaluation of chronic adjustment disorder with mixed features of anxiety and depression, as well as service connection for sleep apnea, will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was rated at 30 percent from October 28, 2009 to March 14, 2012 and later granted a higher rating of 50 percent effective March 15, 2012.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for hypertension, lumbosacral strain, right knee degenerative joint disease, and left knee osteoarthritis. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating higher than 40 percent for hypertension prior to September 26, 2008 or for a rating higher than 10 percent for either knee disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertension has been rated at 10 percent, and the Board found that this rating is not in excess of what is warranted based on his medical evidence. The Veteran's lumbosacral strain was also evaluated but no higher rating could be granted under the applicable criteria.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD, and restless leg syndrome as secondary to PTSD.

The Veteran's current sleep apnea is of service origin, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.,Service connection is also granted for COPD. The Board found that there was sufficient evidence to support a finding that the Veteran's DM is related to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include schizophrenia, a bipolar disorder, and anorexia nervosa due to incomplete records and need for further verification.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's gastrointestinal, sleep, neurological, and non-neurological disabilities are not related to service. The preponderance of the evidence is against these claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's sleep apnea is not related to his in-service exposure to smoke and fumes or secondary to his service-connected smoke inhalation with mild intrinsic restrictive ventilatory dysfunction, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board finds that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea first manifested during his time in active duty military service, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran's obesity, which is associated with his service-connected lumbar spine and psychiatric disorders, may have caused or aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea.