Sleep apnea decisions — 2015

The Veteran's appeal for restoration of separate evaluations for his obstructive sleep apnea, bronchitis and asthma was denied as the January 2013 rating decision correctly applied the regulations to combine these conditions into a single evaluation.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to his service-connected depression, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his representative, resulting in the dismissal of the case.

The Board found that there is no evidence linking the Veteran's sleep apnea, right foot and left foot conditions to his military service or any service-connected condition. The claims for increased ratings were also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted, with some conditions receiving a presumption of herbicide exposure and others being granted based on the evidence presented.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations and obtaining updated medical records.

The Veteran's PTSD and depression have been found to be causally related to her active military service, granting the claim for these conditions. The claims of entitlement to service connection for lupus and sleep apnea are inextricably intertwined with the lupus claim and must be addressed together.

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

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to the claimed conditions and insufficient medical nexus opinions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including an updated VA examination and review of treatment records. The issue remains whether the right knee anterior thigh mass liposarcoma warrants a compensable rating.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a sleep disorder and has determined that new and material evidence has been received. The Board also found that there is sufficient evidence to establish service connection for sleep apnea, which was related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to incomplete examination records, outstanding VA treatment records, and potential need for further examinations. The claims will be considered together as they are inextricably intertwined.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and a gastrointestinal disability, including as due to an undiagnosed illness. He also seeks an increased rating for his service-connected osteoarthritis of the left hip.,The Veteran contends that he incurred obstructive sleep apnea during active service or, alternatively, his service-connected sinusitis caused or aggravated (permanently worsened) his obstructive sleep apnea. He also contends that he incurred a gastrointestinal disability as a result of an undiagnosed illness initially experienced while deployed to the southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War.,The Veteran is seeking an increased rating for his service-connected osteoarthritis of the left hip.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right hip disability, bilateral knee disability, and residuals of left hand frostbite. The claim for sleep apnea is pending.,There was no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities, particularly his back issues.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that the evidence does not support a grant of benefits in any of these cases.

The Board found that the Veteran's sleep apnea did not have onset in or is otherwise related to service, and there was no evidence of worsening during his fourth period of active duty. The examiner opined that the Veteran's sleep disorder did not have a causal relationship with his PTSD.

The Veteran's low back disability was not shown to warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to May 16, 2007.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for sleep apnea, including as secondary to his service-connected PTSD, diabetes mellitus II, and heart disease, has been remanded due to the need for a new video conference hearing.