Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the etiology of his obstructive sleep apnea and whether it is related to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and verifying his claimed stressors. He is also seeking an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and records. The issues of service connection for sleep apnea and skin disability are pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding no clear and unmistakable error in the April 2005 rating decision that denied the claim. The evidence considered at that time did not establish a diagnosis of sleep apnea during service or show it was incurred therein.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's reactive airway disease is rated at 30 percent effective October 25, 2013. His musculoskeletal strain of the lumbosacral spine remains rated at 20 percent. The Veteran's ACL deficiency of the left knee is rated at 10 percent from January 2, 2007 to March 13, 2007.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to be related to his service-connected tonsillar hypertrophy, and the claim for direct service connection is granted.,There is no evidence of a current GERD disability or that it is related to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD. The claim for service connection for GERD is denied.,The Veteran has been diagnosed with bilateral wrist pain since his military service, and this condition is found to be directly related to an in-service injury. The claim for direct service connection for a bilateral wrist disability is granted.

The Board has determined that there is no current evidence of a chronic disability manifested by chest pain or left rib contusion, and the Veteran's claims for service connection are denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is at least in part due to his service-connected coronary artery disease, and thus grants service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to this condition.

The Board has remanded the case for a video conference hearing at the RO in accordance with the Veteran's request.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of the record.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records, Social Security Administration records, and private medical records. Additionally, new VA examinations are required for the Veteran's service connection claims.

The Veteran's appeal regarding recoupment of special separation pay was granted, but the appeal for service connection for sleep apnea and tension headaches was denied.,Service connection for tension headaches was established based on evidence showing onset in service. Service connection for sleep apnea was not established.

The Board has determined that further medical inquiry is necessary to decide the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, as there are conflicting opinions regarding its onset and relationship to service.

The Board has determined that additional verification of the Veteran's periods of active duty service is needed, and also requests additional service treatment records. The Veteran's claim for left knee disability will be remanded to issue a Statement of the Case.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea was not incurred during service or caused by a service-connected disability, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is found to have begun during his active duty service. For both knees, the disability ratings are increased from 10% to 20%.

The Board found that the Veteran's sleep apnea did not have its onset during service and is not related to any in-service injury, event or illness. The examiner opined that it was less likely than not caused by or aggravated by a mental health condition.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for obstructive sleep apnea with bronchial asthma, but granted service connection and assigned a 50 percent rating effective March 30, 2011.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for bronchial asthma with sleep apnea and a compensable rating for bilateral pes planus were denied. The Board found that the medical evidence did not support higher ratings under the applicable schedular criteria.