Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbosacral spine disability, including the status post microdiscectomy, is being remanded due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The Veteran's appeal regarding his lumbosacral strain disability was denied, with the Board finding that a higher rating or an earlier effective date were not warranted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left upper extremity radiculopathy, neuropathy, or carpal tunnel syndrome, hypertension, and sleep apnea have been denied. The January 2014 VA examination indicated that the Veteran does not currently have these conditions.

The Veteran's lumbar strain was evaluated at 20 percent from November 1, 2008 to June 28, 2014 and increased to 40 percent thereafter. The claim is denied as the evidence does not support a higher evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his active duty service and grants his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hallux valgus of both feet, diabetes mellitus type 2, headaches, reactive airway disease, and sleep apnea. The Board found that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims, and that the Veteran's conditions were not related to his active service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's sleep apnea was not incurred or aggravated during active service and is not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disorder or combination of service-connected disorders.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea was incurred during his period of active service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and secondary service connection were denied. The lumbosacral spine disability was found to be at worst mild with no improvement in the previous year, while the left shoulder disability did not show any objective signs of disability.

The Veteran's post-operative right lower extremity numbness and pain following right total knee arthroplasty in May 2007 is not additional disability that is the result of carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault on the part of the VA health care providers who provided treatment.

The Veteran's traumatic brain injury and obstructive sleep apnea are found to be service-connected. The PTSD is assigned a 50% disability rating, the left knee and right knee conditions are each rated at 10%, the shoulder strains are not service-connected, the wrist condition does not meet criteria for a higher rating, the spine strain is rated at 10%, the ankle strains do not warrant a higher rating, the hiatal hernia with GERD is rated at 10%, and the headaches are assigned a 30% disability rating. The Veteran's hypertension, DVT, restless leg syndrome, IBS, erectile dysfunction, and hypertensive cardiovascular disease are each rated at 10%.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any current sleep apnea, including whether it is related to service-connected PTSD or diabetes. The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea will be remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the Veteran's service connection claim for sleep apnea, including verifying his service in Southwest Asia and obtaining a clarifying medical opinion regarding the onset of his condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and verifying stressors. The Veteran is diagnosed with various psychiatric disorders and may require a VA examination to determine if any are related to service.

The Board has denied all service connection claims for various knee, hip, toe, and foot disorders as well as sleep apnea. The Veteran's claims are based on the absence of current diagnoses or medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a supplemental opinion from the previous examiner to address whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to service or a service-connected disability and whether it was aggravated by his service-connected hypertension or allergic rhinitis.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, as well as whether it is related to his service. The case will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, OSA, high cholesterol, and erectile dysfunction were not shown to be related to his service or a service-connected disability. Therefore, the claims for these conditions are denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the submission of additional evidence that has not been initially considered by the RO. The case will be reviewed again after considering this new evidence.

The Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as lumbar spondylosis and degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine, is related to an injury in service. The Board has determined that the criteria for establishing service connection are met.