Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected pseudofolliculitis barbae is currently rated as noncompensably disabling. The Board finds that the June 2010 VA examination was adequate and addresses all relevant aspects of the Veteran's symptomatology.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining updated evidence and scheduling examinations to determine the severity of his service-connected anxiety disorder and whether his current sleep apnea is related to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability is related to his active duty service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine with nerve root involvement. The evidence does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and sleep apnea are being remanded due to the need for additional development of the medical records.

The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD and therefore denied service connection for PTSD. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, including sleep apnea as secondary to such disorders, is also addressed.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected low back disability is dismissed. The Board has granted the Veteran's TDIU claim, finding that he is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus as secondary to exposure to chemical dioxins. The remaining issues of increased evaluations and service connection are remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and right ear hearing loss were not incurred in or related to service. The Veteran was denied service connection for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea but denied service connection for erectile dysfunction. The decision is mixed, as the Veteran's claim for sleep apnea was reopened and granted, while his claim for erectile dysfunction remains denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis, sleep apnea, and gout have been denied. The Board finds that new evidence received is not material to reopen the claim of service connection for sinusitis. Service connection has also not been granted for sleep apnea or gout.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right inguinal hernia, chronic renal failure, sleep apnea, and hypertension. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and service.

The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's sleep apnea and service or any service-connected condition, thus denying his claim for service connection.

For the period of the appeal, the criteria for the assignment of an initial rating of 50 percent for service-connected lumbosacral spine fusion with internal fixation disability have been met.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, and the effective date is set at July 23, 1991.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and reopened the claim of erectile dysfunction. The Veteran's current diagnoses are considered direct service connection, as there is no presumption or secondary theory involved.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for a low back disability. The claims of service connection for sleep apnea, congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus, glaucoma, and peripheral neuropathy have been denied as not supported by evidence showing direct service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran has withdrawn their appeal for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of a right eye disability, sleep apnea secondary to diabetes mellitus, and skin cancer have been denied. The Board finds that there is no evidence linking these conditions to service or any service-connected disabilities.