Sleep apnea decisions — 2016

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep apnea and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea and a kidney disability, finding that there was no competent evidence linking these conditions to his active military service.

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

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for intervertebral disc syndrome with lumbosacral strain with spondylolisthesis was withdrawn, and the Board dismissed the appeal due to this withdrawal.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as he does not have the required auditory threshold levels to meet the definition of a hearing loss disability under VA regulations. The claims for increased evaluations for his cervical and thoracolumbar spine disabilities are remanded for further examination.

The Board finds that the Veteran's lumbosacral strain was incurred during active duty service and grants her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for new VA examinations and consideration of a TDIU claim. The current rating for lumbosacral strain needs to be reassessed, and the TDIU request must await resolution of the lumbosacral strain issue.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to his withdrawal of this claim. The remaining claims regarding PTSD and diabetes mellitus are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected disabilities, and the Board finds that these conditions did not contribute substantially or materially to cause the Veteran's death. The independent medical opinion concluded that the service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, depression, sleep apnea, and ischemic heart disease have been denied as there is no evidence of these conditions during his active duty or in-service. The Veteran was granted service connection for prostate cancer but not for the residuals.

The appellant withdrew his appeal for attorney fees based on increased evaluation of arthritis of the lumbosacral spine.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal of his claim for an increased disability rating for lumbosacral strain due to withdrawal by the appellant. The issue of entitlement to service connection for a skin disorder of the scalp was remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including verification of herbicide exposure in Guam and clarification on the etiology of his sleep apnea and depression.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining terminal treatment records and verifying any herbicide exposure. The appeal is currently in a pending status.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for lumbosacral strain was denied as his condition did not meet the criteria for ankylosis, and he retained some range of motion despite significant pain. The issue of entitlement to a separate compensable rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy is remanded.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, which he believes was incurred in or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus and/or hypertension. The Board has determined that further development is needed to address the nature and etiology of the claimed condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including sleep apnea, obesity, skin disability, low back and neck disabilities, Meniere's disease, heart disability, emphysema, PTSD, bronchitis, genitourinary disability, acid peptic disease, eye infections, and hypertension.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional examinations and the provision of a new opinion regarding the Veteran's sleep apnea claim.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure and service connection for this condition has been granted. The other issues on appeal are pending further development.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability, effective from October 8, 2011.