Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, right wrist disability, cervical spine disability, and bilateral knee disability. The reasons provided include lack of a nexus to service or evidence of continuity of symptoms.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral foot condition, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and right thumb disability as the Veteran's conditions were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is not service connected, either directly or secondary to a service-connected disability. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain disability was found to meet the criteria for a minimum compensable rating (10%) prior to March 25, 2008.

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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeals have been withdrawn, and the cases are dismissed.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease lumbosacral spine with herniated disc pulposus L5-S1 is currently rated at 20 percent, effective November 26, 2008. The Veteran has been granted a higher rating for this condition.,The Veteran's left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy is currently rated at 10 percent, effective April 19, 2017. The Veteran was previously granted service connection for this condition in July 2017 and has not been awarded a higher rating.,The Veteran's gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is currently rated as non-compensable.

The Board has found that the Veteran's sleep apnea is causally related to his military service and granted service connection for this condition. The issue of entitlement to service connection for a headache disability remains pending.

The Veteran's PTSD with mild depression has been rated at 70 percent since February 3, 2012. The Board also granted a TDIU from November 1, 2014.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain. The Veteran's chronic low back pain is related to his active military service, and the Board finds in favor of granting service connection.

The Veteran's left foot metatarsalgia and plantar fasciitis, obstructive sleep apnea, hand tremors, headaches, extreme fatigue, and hiatal hernia are all found to be related to service. The Veteran is granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's right wrist scarring is not compensable, but he meets the criteria for TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's DDD of the lumbosacral spine has been rated at 40 percent since February 21, 2017. The initial ratings for limited abduction, flexion, and extension of the left hip have also been granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a waiver of recovery of an overpayment of service-connected compensation benefits in the calculated amount of $24,239.47 due to fault on the part of the Veteran and lack of undue hardship.

The Board found that the Veteran's current lumbosacral and cervical spine disabilities are not related to his active service.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain was granted a 20% rating prior to January 10, 2013 and a 40% rating between January 10, 2013 and August 19, 2016. The TDIU claim is granted effective from August 19, 2016.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether the appellant's obstructive sleep apnea was incurred in active service, and grants service connection for this condition. The other issues on appeal are not addressed due to the remand status of these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic lumbosacral strain with spondylosis has been productive of severe pain with functional impairment and limited motion during flare-ups, equivalent to range of motion findings of flexion limited to at least 30 degrees. The Board finds that the criteria for a 40 percent rating are met from September 1, 2010.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, and the claim for a compensable rating is denied.,There is no evidence of a current diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in the record. The issue of service connection for OSA is therefore denied.