Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50% based on the severity of symptoms, including depression, anxiety, and social isolation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral degenerative joint disease of the knees, hips, and lumbosacral spine as secondary to his service-connected painful heels with degenerative changes.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, migraine headaches, left shoulder strain with glenohumeral joint osteoarthritis, left elbow strain, right elbow strain, left wrist sprain, right wrist sprain, cervical spine strain, left ankle strain, right ankle strain, and left knee strain with arthritis. The Board found that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his active duty service.,The Board has granted service connection for right knee strain with arthritis. The Board found that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as the evidence did not support a finding of direct or secondary service connection for any of the claimed conditions.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension was denied as there was no evidence to support a finding of direct service connection.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for decreased kidney function was denied as there was no evidence to support a finding of direct or secondary service connection.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for anemia was denied as there was no evidence to support a finding of direct or secondary service connection.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for sexual dysfunction (erectile dysfunction) was denied as there was no evidence to support a finding of direct or secondary service connection.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was denied as there was no evidence to support a finding of direct service connection.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for gastrointestinal disability (GERD) was denied as there was no evidence to support a finding of direct or secondary service connection.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for sixth cranial nerve palsy was denied as the evidence did not support a finding of direct or secondary service connection.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetic retinopathy was denied as there was no evidence to support a finding of direct service connection.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetic peripheral neuropathy was denied as there was no evidence to support a finding of direct service connection.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected low back disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 20 percent prior to July 1, 2013 and 40 percent as of July 1, 2013.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a lumbosacral spine disability, which he claims is related to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities. The Board has determined that further examination and development are needed before the claim can be decided.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) for further action, including scheduling a videoconference hearing at either the Columbia or Atlanta RO based on the Veteran's preference.

The Veteran's appeal of the denial for sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD is remanded. The timeliness of his appeals regarding joint and muscular pain, DDD of the lumbar spine, lumbar radiculopathy of both lower extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities is also remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for irradiation cystitis as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected prostate cancer. The effective date of this grant is July 10, 2007, which is the date of the Veteran's reopened claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting the grant of TDIU.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's currently diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea is related to his service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities, including through obesity from an inability to exercise. As such, service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's conditions did not have their onset during active service or within one year thereafter. The claim was also denied on a direct basis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea did not manifest during or as a result of active military service and is not etiologically related to his service-connected PTSD. Therefore, the claim for service connection for sleep apnea is denied.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request for withdrawal of all pending claims before the Board.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for swelling joints, sinusitis, bilateral pes planus, and sleep apnea. The remaining service connection issues are remanded for further development.

The Board has ordered a new medical opinion due to the same VA examiner providing the previous opinions. The Veteran's sleep apnea disability is being evaluated for its onset during service and whether it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for additional medical examination and opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD aggravates his sleep apnea, which is a condition he claims is secondary to his PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence was at least in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's current conditions, such as tension headaches and tinnitus, were incurred during his military service.

The Veteran's lumbosacral spine strain is not service-connected as it did not manifest during or within one year after service, and there is no evidence of continuity of symptoms since service. The Board finds the Veteran's current recollections of continuous symptoms to be less credible.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical intervertebral disc syndrome and bilateral hearing loss, as well as his service connection claims for obstructive sleep apnea and tinnitus.