Sleep apnea decisions — 2016

The Veteran's sleep apnea is found to have begun during his active military service and has been granted service connection.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as she withdrew her appeals for sleep apnea and right hand injury prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and a chronic upper respiratory disorder, finding that there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Veteran's current diagnosis of sleep apnea was not related to his service, and the Board denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran withdrew her appeals for sleep apnea, hypertension, and a chronic disability of the lumbosacral spine before the Board could make a decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left ankle disabilities, a sleep disorder (listed as sleep apnea), and residuals of a head injury. The decision also addressed his knee conditions but did not grant any benefits.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to address the Veteran's service connection claim for a sleep disorder and his increased rating claim for hypertension.

The Veteran's current obstructive sleep apnea is considered to have had its onset during service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease and radiculopathy of the lower left extremity were denied. The Board found that a rating in excess of 60 percent was not warranted for the lumbar spine disability, as there was no evidence of ankylosis. For the radiculopathy claim, the Veteran's current 20% rating was upheld.

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

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and a medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea.

Service connection was granted for a disability manifested by shortness of breath and sleep apnea, but not for Meniere's disease. The Veteran's right knee arthritis is currently rated as 10 percent disabling.,The Veteran has been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, which the VA examiner concluded was less likely than not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is not related to his service or a service-connected condition, and therefore denied both direct and secondary service connection for this disability.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD warrants a 70 percent rating, but no more. The appeal is granted for this issue.

The Board has found that the Veteran's PTSD is related to active duty and granted service connection for this condition. The issue of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea is remanded due to a lack of a Statement of the Case.

The Board found that the Veteran's sleep apnea was not caused by or a result of his service-connected disabilities and denied compensation for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, as secondary to his service-connected disabilities, is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that new evidence received since the May 2006 rating decision raises the possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Board has determined that the January 2015 VA examination is inadequate and requires a new examination to determine if the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his military service.

The Veteran's lumbosacral DDD is currently rated at 40 percent, effective April 16, 2015. The Board granted a 60 percent rating for the period prior to that date.