Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can affect people who have experienced or witnessed trauma, such as a distressing or shocking event. Learn more about us, Veterans Disability Claim Do you currently smoke, or have you smoked in the past? Please call for an appointment before visiting: Mail Processing Center: P.O. For years, the elephant in the room in the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities has been sleep apnea. The VA assigns the following ratings for veterans based on the severity of their sleep apnea: PTSD, Hypertension, Asthma, Cardiovascular Conditions, Type II Diabetes, Mental Health Conditions, Respiratory Conditions, Alzheimers disease. >> Click HERE now to get your FREE copy of my eBook: The Insiders Guide to VA Claims for Sleep Apnea. <<. You may be eligible for benefits if you have a service-related heart condition requiring treatment with a stent. As your heart rate and blood pressure increase, your doctor will monitor your hearts electrical activity and blood flow. I have diagnoses post-service for GERD, Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Sleep Apnea, Obesity, and Heart Disease Veterans who develop heart conditions due to military service may be entitled to disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). To receive benefits, you must first prove that there is a service connection. Quick note: You MUST have a medical diagnosis of Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain either does not send signals to the muscles that control breathing or those signals are interrupted. People with sleep apnea are more likely to have coronary artery disease than those without sleep apnea. A Secondary Analysis of the RICCADSA Trial. However, sometimes a VA C&P examiner (such as a Nurse Practitioner) will call you on the telephone and conduct an Acceptable Clinical Evidence (ACE) exam review of your Sleep Apnea claim. If your heart is healthy, it can pump enough blood to meet the increased demand. a showing of causation. Exploring the Connection Between Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Disease. Need an Independent Medical Opinion (IMO) to help service-connect your sleep apnea VA claim? As blood backs up into the blood vessels, the body starts to retain fluid in the abdomen and lower body. be resistance among military clinics worldwide from ordering-up sleep studies Click Go Elite Now below to get started today and a member of our team will be in touch within minutes. Signup to never miss a beat with special offers, blog updates, exclusive trainings, and more delivered right to your inbox! An MET test causes symptoms (like shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, dizziness, heart palpitations, arrhythmia, or fainting) at 7.1 to 10.0 METs. secondary Service connection on a secondary basis requires a showing of causation. WebThe diagnostic criteria for a VA sleep apnea claim, found in the Code of Federal Regulations, have not changed. I am service connected for severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Los Angeles, CA: 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Ste 1101, Los Angeles, CA 90025 Relationship Between Sleep Apnea and Coronary Artery Left-sided CHF: Left-sided CHF is the most common form of CHF and begins when the left ventricle cant effectively deliver blood throughout the body. They can also occur due to other conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. Pittsburgh, PA: 201 Penn Center Boulevard, Suite 400, Pittsburgh, PA, 15235 Bringing someone with you to the appointment may also be useful. A 50% rating would be given if treatment was ineffective or you were unable to use therapies due to another condition. BUT, you must act now, and you must get a sleep WebIf you are diagnosed with a chronic disease within one year of active -duty release, you should apply for disability compensation. Examples of chronic disease include: arthritis, diabetes or hypertension. Check out our Philips CPAP Recall page here! Have you been affected by Camp Lejeune water contamination? If you need a Medical Nexus Letter from a qualified doctor to service connect your VA sleep apnea claim secondary to another disability, click HERE now and complete our FREE 3-step intake. This can often interfere with daily life. #3. As such, veterans who are service connected for tinnitus may be eligible for secondary service connection for sleep apnea, and vice-versa. *Cases of left-sided CHF can be further classified into one of two sub-types, characterized by the manner in which the ventricle is affected: This guide is intended to provide an overview of the most common conditions secondary to ischemic heart disease. Over time, hypertension can lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and kidney failure. During an evaluation for sleep apnea, a doctor may ask some of the following questions: During the exam, the doctor may also take into consideration your weight, neck circumference, or blood pressure (all which could put you at higher risk for sleep apnea). There are many different symptoms that go, Sleep apnea is a common medical condition that can be caused by many different factors, including conditions like Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In addition to being a secondary condition to ischemic heart disease, arrhythmias can also be caused by other conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. One type of heart disease is valvular heart disease, which occurs when one or more of the hearts valves are damaged. G.C. Sleep Apnea Do Heart Stents Qualify for VA Disability Benefits? Prior to the exam, the examiner will review the veterans c-file so they are familiar with the veterans case. Treatment options include lifestyle modification, medications, implantable devices, and surgery. Many people with obstructive sleep apnea develop high blood pressure (hypertension), which can increase the risk of heart disease. He is aformer active duty Air Force officerwith extensive experience leading hundreds of individuals and multi-functional teams in challenging international environments, including a combat tour to Afghanistan in 2011 supporting Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Disability terminology chart. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a complex and heterogeneous common chronic disease characterized by repetitive episodes of upper airway collapse, affecting 40%60% of patients with ACS [1, 2]. Symptoms of Congestive heart failure include shortness of breath, fatigue, and swelling in the legs and feet. service connection: The first part can be satisfied with any All Rights Reserved. Sleep Apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which a persons breathing is repeatedly interrupted, or ceases, during the course of a nights sleep. The best way to do this is by providing a complete medical history and linking it to your military service records. A showing of causation requires that the secondary disability be shown to be proximately caused by or proximately aggravated by another service-connected disability. This causes discomfort and inflammation. Brian is a Distinguished Graduate of Management from theUnited States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO and he holds an MBA from Oklahoma State Universitys Spears School of Business, Stillwater, OK, where he was a National Honor Scholar (Top 1% of Graduate School class). Copyright 2023 Hill & Ponton, P.A.. All Rights Reserved. If the VA grants service connection for both conditions, they will only assign whichever has the higher rating. Symptoms of asthma can include: Research has indicated that people who have asthma are more likely to develop obstructive sleep apnea. How hard is it to get VA disability for sleep apnea? His eBook, the9 Secrets Strategies for Winning Your VA Disability Claimhas been downloaded more than 300,000 times in the past three years and is the #1 rated free VA disability claims guide for veterans. Many veterans are diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, and thereforewith an effective claim that includes the right evidenceshould be eligible for a sleep apnea VA rating. Sleep Apnea in Cardiovascular Patients However, in February 2022, VA proposed changes that would reclassify sleep apnea ratings to 0 percent, 10 percent, 30 percent, or 50 percent, with 100 percent for sleep apnea seeming even harder to qualify for. Some of the following conditions can be secondary to sleep apnea, while others may be the primary condition to which sleep apnea is secondary. Trisha attended the U.S. Air Force Academy and holds an MBA from Webster University. VA Sleep Apnea Claim In this blog post, we will discuss how. Youll want to explain to the C&P examiner HOW your Sleep Apnea condition is limiting or affecting your work, life, and social functioning. Ann Am Thorac Soc. WebLets look a little deeper at OSA for a minute Obstructive Sleep Apnea is by far the most common type of Sleep Apnea that affects veterans. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine puts it simply. Asymptomatic sleep apnea would not be compensated under the tentative regulation. Columbus, OH: 100 E. Campus View Boulevard, Suite #250, Columbus, OH, 43235 Copyright 2023 Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD. All Rights Reserved. Congestive heart failure is a common complication of ischemic heart disease. Trials such as SAVE (Sleep Apnea Cardiovascular Endpoints), RICCADSA (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure [CPAP] Treatment in Coronary Artery Disease and Sleep Apnea), and CERCAS (Effect of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure on the Incidence of Hypertension and Cardiovascular Events in Nonsleepy Patients With I've read that these can be rated secondary to OSA. Some experts believe that hypertension may contribute to ischemic heart disease, but the exact relationship between the two conditions is unclear. How do I prove VA disability for sleep apnea? We know the pain of feeling stuck, frustrated, and alone, and we want to make this process as easy and painless as possible for you. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by recurrent complete and partial upper airway obstructive events, resulting in intermittent hypoxemia, autonomic fluctuation, and sleep fragmentation. The most trusted name in education-based resources for Veterans. Although heart failure can be filed secondary to IHD, the VA wont assign separate ratings. Sleep Apnea In this case, there must be a medical nexus to link the sleep apnea to their already service-connected disability. Although all of these symptoms contribute to the interaction betweensleep apnea and PTSD, the main culprits seem to be sleep deprivation and chronic stress. Several studies have shown an increased risk of ischemic heart disease among veterans exposed to Agent Orange. Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, but many who have sleep apnea do snore regularly and loudly. 203, San Jose, CA 95134 Box 449, Deland, FL 32721, Orlando, FL: 605 E. Robinson Street Suite 635, Orlando, FL 32801 High Blood Pressure Secondary to Obstructive Sleep Apnea: What Veterans Should Know Are you suffering from obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and hypertension? These cookies may be set through our website by our advertising partners. Earlier studies estimated the prevalence of OSA in heart failure with reduced EF to be 12-15%, while the prevalence of central sleep apnea (CSA) was between 37-38%. A showing of causation requires that the secondary disability be shown to be proximately due to, or the result of, a service-connected disability. If you are among the former military service members living with sleep apnea, you may be eligible for veterans disability compensation through the Department of Veterans Affairs. The major problem for your sleep apnea VA claim, however, is that you probably were NOT diagnosed with sleep apnea on active duty. There is no evidence in the veterans service treatment records of any sleep If your VA rating is higher (30 - 100%), consider filing a claim. They are a leading cause of heart failure and death worldwide and are one of the common secondary conditions in veterans with ischemic heart disease. 5 Common Symptoms of Sleep Apnea. ==> Click HERE to apply for FREE:www.vaclaimsinsiderelite.com <==. #1: Air is pulled in through the nasal passages. The third part can be satisfied with aMedical Nexus Letter, aka, Independent Medical Opinion (IMO)from a qualified medical professional. As a part of the VAs duty to assist veterans in obtaining evidence to help prove their claim, the VA has a duty to assist veterans in scheduling the examination for a sleep study and helping them realize the VA disability claim that they are entitled to. This guide will outline the basics of sleep apnea, how the VA disability rating works for this condition, and how qualifying veterans can prove direct service connection as well as sleep apnea as a secondary service connected condition to PTSD. The signs and symptoms of these three types of sleep apnea tend to overlap, sometimes making it difficult to determine which type a person has. The VA assigns a disability rating to each condition based on the severity of the condition and its effects on the veterans ability to work and live a normal life.