Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and any private treatment records from his September 2015 surgery. The Veteran will also be asked to provide information about his employment history.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of sleep apnea, and the Board has dismissed the case.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed conditions were not present during service or related to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding his sleep apnea and service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence received by VA within one year of a previous rating decision, and the claim is now considered an original claim. The Veteran's sleep apnea may be related to his service-connected PTSD or its associated medication use.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability warrants a rating of 40 percent, and his left shoulder disability warrants a rating of 30 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are not found to have caused or aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea, and the Board denies service connection for this condition.

The RO reduced the Veteran's right knee chondritis of the patella rating from 20 percent to 10 percent effective April 1, 2008. The reduction was proper as there was no material improvement in the condition that had been maintained under ordinary conditions of life.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to new evidence received after a previous decision, and because of the potential service connection between hypertension and PTSD.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected bronchial asthma and a rating in excess of 30 percent for his bronchial asthma.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected sinusitis contributed to cause his OSA, and therefore grants secondary service connection for OSA.

The Board found that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was not aggravated by his service-connected hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy, and thus denied the claim of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to heart disability on an aggravation basis.

The Board finds that the Veteran's OSA as likely as not had its onset during his active duty service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities and to determine their etiology.

The Board finds that the evidence supports a finding that obstructive sleep apnea syndrome had its onset during service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings have been withdrawn.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, including a lumbosacral strain, chronic low back pain with osteoarthritis and L4-5 spinal stenosis, had its onset during service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Veteran's sleep apnea was incurred in service. The rating for PTSD with depressive disorder prior to April 2, 2014 is granted at 30 percent. The rating for TBI with central vertigo prior to April 2, 2014 is also granted at 30 percent.

The Veteran was found unemployable from August 29, 2011 to September 30, 2015 due to the combined effects of his service-connected PTSD and sleep apnea. His combined disability rating for these conditions is 80 percent.