Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Veteran's death pension benefits were denied because the appellant's income exceeded the maximum annual pension rate for a surviving spouse with no dependents.

The Veteran's left eye disorder, sleep apnea and insomnia, and right ear hearing loss are not service-connected. The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for the left eye disorder due to VA treatment in August 1989. Service connection was also denied for the Veteran's sleep disorder and right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected lumbosacral spine disability is being remanded due to inconsistencies in the examination findings and continued complaints of pain. A new VA examination is needed to determine the current severity of the disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the earliest possible effective date was February 12, 2009.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for sleep apnea and an undiagnosed respiratory disability, both of which are presumed to have occurred during his Gulf War service.,Service connection for bilateral patellofemoral pain syndrome has also been granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination and obtaining additional records. The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea is on appeal.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional medical opinions and to request authorization for non-VA records. The Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea, including as secondary to his service-connected disabilities, is being returned for further development.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding that there was no competent and credible evidence to support a link between any of these disabilities and active duty or exposure to toxic substances. The Veteran's Graves' disease and diabetes were found not to have onset in service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied across multiple conditions, including PTSD, alcohol abuse, GERD, diverticulosis/diverticulitis, sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy. The Board found no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and active service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's sleep apnea did not have its onset in active service and was not due to or aggravated by a service-connected disability. The hypertension diagnosis is from 2016, which does not meet the one-year presumptive period for hypertension. The left knee disorder has no evidence of onset during service.,The Board denied all three issues on appeal as there was insufficient evidence to establish service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain, right ankle disability, and personality disorder were denied by the RO in April 2010. The effective date of his awards was January 13, 2012.,The Veteran's claim for a right ankle disability has been reopened due to new evidence submitted since the April 2010 denial.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a sleep disorder, claimed as sleep apnea, has been remanded due to the failure of VA to comply with previous Board directives. The case must be reviewed again after obtaining all relevant medical records and scheduling an appropriate examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus TDIU compensation is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's current diagnosed post-operative lumbosacral spine disorder, including injury residuals, degenerative disc disease, and spinal fusion is related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran's claims of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD, service connection for depression, a compensable initial rating for bilateral eye disability (photophobia), service connection for a skin disability of the left hand, and service connection for a right foot disability are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD is being remanded due to the need for additional medical inquiry and an addendum report from the July 2016 VA examiner.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea has been rated at 50 percent since July 30, 2007. The condition requires the use of a CPAP machine but does not meet criteria for higher ratings due to lack of respiratory failure or tracheostomy.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete development and need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions and whether they are related to service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's sleep apnea became manifest during his active service and has persisted since, granting service connection for this condition.