Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and VA treatment records, scheduling appropriate examinations, and readjudicating the claims.

The Board has remanded the claims due to a request for a video-conference hearing. The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, seizures, and sleep apnea are pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, PTSD, and aortic stenosis are not related to service. The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations to determine the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to work, and for consideration of extraschedular TDIU criteria.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and a higher initial rating for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his lower back condition, and the failure to provide a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) for the period prior to December 30, 2011.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea and whether it is related to service. The case is therefore being remanded for an examination and opinion.

The Board found that the Veteran's leiomyosarcoma was not incurred in service and is not otherwise related to his service. The claim for service connection was granted based on a presumption of service connection due to exposure to ionizing radiation during Operation Redwing.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for lumbar spine disability, sleep apnea, GERD, migraine headaches, and bilateral hearing loss. The reasons provided were that there was no confirmed diagnosis of these conditions in service or since service separation, and continuity of symptoms since service could not be established.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea did not begin during his military service and is not otherwise related to his active duty service. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was denied as well.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, thus meeting the criteria for a TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, including as secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The case will be remanded for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's conditions, including joint and limb pain, chest pain, prostate cancer, and lichenoid rash of various body parts, are presumptively related to herbicide exposure during service. The Veteran's left wrist condition is also presumed to be due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, which was diagnosed in October 2011. The VA examiner concluded that the OSA is not due to any of his service-connected disabilities or medications taken for these conditions. However, further medical opinions are needed based on recent articles submitted by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the case to consider whether an extraschedular rating is warranted for lumbosacral strain and whether a TDIU effective date prior to March 31, 2003 should be established on an extraschedular basis. The Veteran's service-connected condition may warrant such considerations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea had its onset during service and is related to his military service, granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran seeks service connection for sleep apnea and heart disease. The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain a VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and his military service, including exposure to chemical fires and smoke during service in Southwest Asia. Additionally, the Board must prepare a SOC on the issue of entitlement to service connection for heart disease.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and requesting an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any sinus disability and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic lumbosacral strain is rated at 10 percent, effective October 1, 2013. The evidence does not show an improvement in the disability that would warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule him for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed sleep disorder, including obstructive sleep apnea.