Sleep apnea decisions — 2015

The Board has found that the Veteran's sleep apnea is caused by his service-connected heart disease and hypertension, thus granting service connection for sleep apnea.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea and diabetes mellitus, type II are at least as likely as not related to his service. Therefore, these conditions have been granted service connection.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and associated right lower extremity radiculopathy are productive of symptoms warranting at least a 20 percent rating since September 2, 2006.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for residuals of liposarcoma of the left medial thigh effective November 21, 2012. The Veteran's CFS was rated at 60 percent and TDIU was granted prior to that date.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is rated at 10 percent and the Board has determined that a new VA examination is required to determine the current level of severity.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information regarding the Veteran's dates of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA). The Veteran is requested to provide these dates so that a VA medical examination can be conducted to determine if his hypertension and sleep apnea disabilities are related to his service.

The Board found that the grant of service connection for lumbosacral degenerative disc disease in July 2010 was not clearly and unmistakably erroneous, thus restoring it. The severance of service connection was improper.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep apnea and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The case will be remanded to allow for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA examinations and reviewing the claims file to ensure all relevant evidence has been considered.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and arranging a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any residuals of a traumatic brain injury.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's OSA was first manifested during service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal has been granted for service connection of various conditions, including sleep apnea, Reiter's syndrome/reactive arthritis, urethritis and prostatitis, chronic sinusitis, conjunctivitis with dry eyes, joint and muscle pain, allergic rhinitis, bilateral plantar fasciitis, gastrointestinal disorder. Effective dates have also been assigned for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and found that the Veteran's right hand disability, gastrointestinal disability, and obstructive sleep apnea are presumed to have been incurred during his military service. Service connection was denied for diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's sinus disease, originally claimed as anterior and posterior table left frontal sinus fracture, is granted service connection.,Service connection for onychodystrophy, tinea pedis, and gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD) are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for scheduling a hearing before a member of the Board at the RO.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining gainful employment, as evidenced by his continued work as a truck driver until at least February 2014. The Board denies the claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service connected disorders.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected PTSD.

The Board found no evidence to support a link between the Veteran's sleep apnea and cardiomyopathy and his military service, thus denying both claims.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the cases for service connection for psychiatric disability, lumbosacral spine disability, and cervical spine disability are dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examinations. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further action.