Sleep apnea decisions — 2016

The Board found that the Veteran's lumbosacral spine disorder is not caused by or made worse by his service-connected left knee disability, and therefore denied the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is service-connected and his anxiety disorder warrants a rating of 50 percent, which is the maximum available under the applicable criteria.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea and found that an earlier effective date for TDIU prior to May 23, 2006 is not warranted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and skin disorder (rosacea) are not related to service or any incident of service origin, and were not caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lung disabilities, to include obstructive and restrictive lung defects, are related to his exposure during service. The Veteran's jaw bone condition is not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to missing records and the need for additional development, including verification of combat stressors, a VA examination, and consideration of pre-service psychiatric conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, thus granting his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is not related to his military service or any service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected chronic sinusitis, and thus grants the claim for service connection on a secondary basis.

The Veteran seeks service connection for sleep apnea, which she claims is related to her service-connected rhino sinusitis and/or fibromyalgia. The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional development of the record.

The Veteran's combined rating for his service-connected disabilities is 50%, which does not meet the threshold percentage requirements for TDIU. The appeal for increased ratings and TDIU was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including alopecia, sinusitis, fibromyalgia, lumbosacral strain, osteoarthropathy of the right and left knees, have been granted with a 10 percent rating for each condition. The effective date is not specified.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and readjudication of his claims, including obtaining updated treatment records and ensuring proper notice regarding a claim for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for a VA examination. The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and right flatfoot disorder are pending.

The Veteran's case is being remanded for additional development, including an addendum opinion from a suitably qualified examiner to address the nature and etiology of any current sleep apnea and whether it is related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder is not manifested by unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine from January 15, 2003. Therefore, a rating in excess of 40 percent for service-connected lumbosacral strain with psychophysiological musculoskeletal disorder has not been met.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain were denied by the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional medical and vocational assessments to determine his functional limitations caused by his service-connected rheumatic heart disease, as well as its impact on his ability to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea and heart disorder (claimed as CAD) due to lack of evidence showing the conditions were incurred in or aggravated by military service.

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