Sleep apnea Board decisions

The case is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the issues of service connection for left wrist disability, right wrist disability, and sleep apnea. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates, finding that his service-connected conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings or earlier effective dates.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and clarification of periods of active duty training.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, vision blurs, and coronary artery disease. The claims for increased ratings for mood disorder and back disability are being remanded for additional development. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claims for gout, obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus type II, and heart disability have all been denied. The Board found no evidence of these conditions in service or within one year post-service, and there is insufficient medical nexus evidence to link them to service.,There are no findings of OSA in the Veteran's service records, and the earliest diagnosis was several years after separation from service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board will address the issues on remand.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, lumbosacral strain, chest pain due to undiagnosed illness, and reactive airway disease due to undiagnosed illness, rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to April 25, 1999. Effective April 25, 1999, the Veteran was found unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are not service-connected as they were not caused or aggravated by his military service. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's current conditions are more likely due to obesity for sleep apnea, and noise exposure is not shown to have caused his hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeals for benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 and service connection are being remanded due to the need to obtain Quality Assurance records related to his MRSA infection.

The Board has restored the Veteran's 40 percent rating for his low back disability and remanded the issue of service connection for sleep apnea due to secondary to GERD.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea syndrome, finding that there is no evidence linking his current disability to active duty service or any other service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability as a result of service-connected disabilities was denied due to his failure to report for a necessary VA examination.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for sleep apnea and granted it, finding that there is at least equipoise evidence in favor of a relationship between the Veteran's sleep apnea and his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, secondary to PTSD, is granted. The initial rating for the keloid scar of the right foot remains at 10 percent. A higher disability rating for PTSD and an effective date earlier than August 10, 2010 are denied. An effective date earlier than August 10, 2010 for a 40 percent rating for right ankle fracture residuals based on CUE is granted. SMC at the housebound rate is granted with an effective date of August 30, 2006. The grant of service connection for a keloid scar of the right foot is granted with an effective date of November 22, 2013.

The Veteran's sleep disorder, cervical spine disability, and bilateral testicle disability are all found to be related to his active service. The Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for recurrent tension headaches has been granted, and he is now receiving a 30 percent disability rating. His TDIU claim has also been granted.

The Board has granted service connection for Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the lumbosacral spine with spondylolisthesis and canal stenosis, finding it at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's military service. The issue of a TDIU prior to August 1, 2016 is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's hypertension and OSA were not shown to be related to service, including presumed herbicide exposure or service-connected PTSD.,Both conditions first manifested many years after the Veteran's separation from active duty.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his service-connected back disability from May 25, 2010 forward was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine or incapacitating episodes meeting the criteria for a higher rating.