Sleep apnea decisions — 2011

The Board has remanded the case for completion of several directives, including determining the Veteran's current address and clarifying his representation preferences. The case is now pending further action.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate records and a need for a VA medical opinion regarding whether the cause of the Veteran's death is related to service or any service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial rating of hearing loss are being remanded due to the need for further development, including medical opinions on the etiology of his conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board is remanding the case for further development, including obtaining medical opinions on whether the Veteran's degenerative disc disease is secondary to his service-connected lumbosacral strain and determining if he is entitled to a TDIU or extraschedular rating.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease was rated at 40 percent effective April 27, 2009. The rating is based on the current manifestations of the disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain updated VA treatment records, schedule him for examinations to evaluate his current low back and right heel disabilities, and provide an SOC on the issues of service connection for peripheral neuropathy and a compensable rating for a right elbow disability.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain alone does not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for degenerative arthritis of the left knee and lumbosacral spine, but denied an increased rating for the right knee. The Veteran's disability is rated under the General Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of his condition and whether it was caused by military service.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is currently rated at 20 percent, and the claim for increased rating has been denied. The TDIU claim based on service-connected disability is moot as of August 17, 2010.

The Veteran's initial disability ratings for his service-connected degenerative disc disease and associated radiculopathy have been granted, with a rating of 20 percent each.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claim for high cholesterol due to his withdrawal of the issue. The remaining service-connection claims have been denied.

The Veteran's sleep apnea claim has been granted, and his right knee instability rating was reduced from 20% to noncompensable effective January 1, 2009.,The reduction of the right knee disability rating was proper as there is evidence showing that the Veteran did not have knee instability at the time of the reduction.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings on several service-connected conditions have been withdrawn, and the claims are dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration (SSA) records.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of his claims, including a VA examination to determine the etiology of any current DM.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and clarification of medical evidence.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent, and his right and left lower extremity radiculopathy are each rated at 20 percent. The claims for increased ratings have been granted.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple conditions, including asthma and bronchiectasis, sleep apnea, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, gastrointestinal issues, erectile dysfunction, and diabetes. The claims are related to service connection for these conditions based on exposure to Agent Orange during active duty.