Sleep apnea decisions — 2014

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back condition is not related to service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, malaria residuals, hypertension, and sleep apnea have been denied as there is no current diagnosis or evidence of in-service occurrence or continuity of symptomatology.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating of his left knee disability and service connection for a back disability are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing the Veteran with VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating, service connection, and other issues were denied. The decision does not address the specific conditions or theories of service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began during his deployment to Iraq and are more likely than not related to his military service. The right knee meniscal tear claim is dismissed as the Veteran withdrew it before a decision was made. The hearing loss disability claim is also dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of sleep apnea is being remanded due to the need to address whether there was clear and unmistakable error in a previous decision denying service connection.

The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, as it was not incurred in or related to active military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disability, respiratory disability, and sleep apnea have been denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and affording the Veteran an appropriate VA examination to assess his educational and vocational skills in relation to his ability to perform sedentary employment and/or light duty work.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a head injury, right hip disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder, diabetes mellitus, type II, sleep apnea, CAD, and aneurysm to the brain and aorta. The decision is final.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a left Achilles tendon injury, low testosterone, astigmatism, and sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The VA physician provided an addendum opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's sleep apnea and his pseudofolliculitis barbae with recurring keloids.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine is rated at 20 percent effective July 1, 2013.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and an addendum opinion from a VHA examiner to address whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to service or caused by his weight gain during service.

Service connection is granted for a psychiatric disorder, adjustment disorder with anxiety, and sleep apnea. A 50% disability rating is assigned for migraine headaches.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded as it includes the newly-granted service-connected condition.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was initially rated as noncompensable and later granted a 10 percent rating effective July 3, 2012. The Board found that the disability warranted a higher rating from July 3, 2012.

The claims for allergic rhinitis, tinea pedis, sleep apnea, and a right ankle injury were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. The claims for gastrointestinal disorder, lung condition, and right great toe injury were reopened.,Service connection for PTSD and depression (inclusive) was granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records. The issues of increased ratings for his lumbar spine disorder and associated neurologic impairment are still pending.

The Board found that the Veteran's cervical spine and lumbosacral spine disabilities do not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent, thus denying her claims for increased ratings. The reduction from a 100 percent to a 10 percent rating for service-connected Lyme disease was upheld.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder condition and sleep apnea are not related to his military service, resulting in a denial of both claims.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is likely secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and the Board has granted this claim.