Sleep apnea decisions — 2013

The Veteran's left ankle arthritis is rated at 20 percent, and his bilateral knee disorders are not service-connected. The lumbosacral spine disorder was also found to be directly related to the service-connected left ankle arthritis.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease has not met the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent as of September 29, 2009.

The Veteran's claimed lumbosacral spine disorder is not service-connected as it did not manifest during or within one year after service, and there is no evidence of a nexus to service.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea and spine disabilities, finding that the conditions were not related to active duty service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current obstructive sleep apnea did not have its onset in service and is not otherwise etiologically related to herbicide exposure or service-connected diabetes mellitus. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to report for a scheduled Board hearing. He was not provided adequate notice of the hearing and needs another opportunity to testify.

The Board finds that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is not related to his active military service and thus does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current sleep apnea was incurred during service.,For right knee DJD and left knee DJD, the Board denied increased ratings as there is no evidence of ankylosis or instability.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and all issues on appeal have been dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disabilities are not service-connected as they did not manifest during his military service or within one year of separation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability warrants a 20 percent evaluation, effective from March 1, 2008. A separate rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy is warranted prior to July 30, 2013.

The Veteran was not found to be unemployable due to service-connected disabilities prior to October 2, 2008. From October 2, 2008 to September 11, 2013, the evidence showed that he was unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and hyposmia are not caused or aggravated by his service-connected maxillary sinusitis with atrophic rhinitis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea and erectile dysfunction did not begin in service or are otherwise related to his military service, including any service-connected disabilities. As such, these claims have been denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's current sleep apnea is not related to his military service and denied his claim.

The Veteran's asthma with sleep apnea is currently rated at 60 percent, but the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted. The issue of unemployability due to service-connected disabilities remains unresolved.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for lumbosacral spine, cervical spine, and radiculopathy disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding whether his right shoulder dislocation has caused or made worse these conditions.

The Veteran's skin disorder and sleep apnea were not found to be related to his military service. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus and hypertension did not warrant higher initial ratings.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for schizophrenia and remanded to obtain additional evidence, including SSA disability records, personnel file, private treatment records, and a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there is no evidence of a chronic condition or its manifestations during service, and the current conditions are not linked to service.,The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations were also denied.