Sleep apnea decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea are related to his military service. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current obstructive sleep apnea had its onset during service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder. His major depressive disorder is granted a 100% rating, and his degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine remains at 50%. The case is remanded for further development regarding the lower back condition.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his representative, and thus the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's depression has been rated at 70 percent since February 10, 2006. The effective date for this rating is not specified in the decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of his sleep apnea, skin disorders, and hypertension.

The Board denied service connection for squamous cell carcinoma and sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link to active duty service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Veteran was not granted any new evaluations or service connections.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of skin cancer, OSA, and periodic leg movement disorder (claimed as right leg condition), finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's sleep apnea is not related to his active service or to his service-connected lung cancer, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and need for additional examinations. The issues of PTSD evaluation, TDIU, and sleep apnea service connection are being addressed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was found to have started during service and has continued since, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, claimed as secondary to his service-connected disabilities, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and medical opinions.

The Veteran's left knee disability has been rated as noncompensable from January 1, 2010 to September 14, 2012 and then increased to 10 percent thereafter. The back disability was initially rated at 10 percent from January 1, 2010 to May 22, 2015 and later increased to 40 percent.,The Veteran's left knee scar has been withdrawn from appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for further development regarding his exposure to carbon tetrachloride and ionizing radiation during service.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, degenerative joint disease of the right knee, and status post total left knee replacement were denied due to lack of a nexus between service and current disability. The claim for IHD was not addressed as it is not part of the appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for a depressive disorder, finding that the Veteran's statements regarding in-service sleep issues are credible and probative. The claim of service connection for a sleep disorder to include narcolepsy and sleep apnea is remanded due to inadequate rationale provided by the VA examiner.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing an addendum opinion on whether the Veteran's current back conditions are related to his service or service-connected foot disabilities.