Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran's current cervical spine disorder is not related to his period of service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep disorder, diagnosed as obstructive sleep apnea, is not causally or etiologically related to his service and is not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD with depression and/or chronic prostatitis with bladder infections.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination to address the nature and etiology of his tinnitus claim, as well as determining the current severity of his service-connected right shoulder bursitis. The AOJ must also consider whether staged ratings are appropriate in light of Hart v. Mansfield.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected lumbosacral spine strain is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating criteria.

The Veteran's PTSD with depression has been granted a rating of at least 70 percent, reflecting significant impairment in most areas.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea has been established, with the onset during active military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for left above-the-knee amputation and lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease are denied as the evidence does not support a higher evaluation under applicable rating criteria.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain updated VA treatment records and an appropriate VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of his degenerative disk disease of the lumbosacral spine. The TDIU claim will also be addressed.

The Veteran's lumbosacral osteoarthritis with lumbar spinal stenosis does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA Rating Schedule.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequate consideration of lay evidence and a need for an addendum opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain does not preclude him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's current sleep apnea is related to weight gain due to his service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with depression, and the Board grants service connection for this condition as secondary to PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected PTSD, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea had its onset during service and is therefore granted service connection on a direct basis.

The Veteran's claims for extraschedular evaluation of his lumbosacral spine disability, increased rating for right knee arthroplasty, and retroactive effective date for radiculopathy are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's combined rating was 80% prior to his death in December 2009, and 90% thereafter. The service-connected disabilities met the percentage requirements for a schedular TDIU, but did not render him unemployable due to their impact on his ability to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep disorder and gastrointestinal disability are related to service, with no indication of aggravation by his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded this claim due to the inadequacy of a VA examination and for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea had its onset in service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if his condition manifested in service or is otherwise related to service.