Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hip and knee disorders, peripheral neuropathy/radiculopathy, and pes planus were granted. He was assigned a 10% disability rating for pes planus effective October 17, 2013.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than July 27, 2004, for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea was granted. The effective date is set at November 10, 2003.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current sleep apnea, psychiatric disorder (including Major Depressive Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder), and bilateral pes planus were not shown in service or for years thereafter. The evidence does not support a finding of an in-service event or injury resulting in these conditions.

The Veteran seeks a higher initial evaluation for his service-connected traumatic arthritis of the lumbosacral spine. The case is being remanded to obtain updated medical records and to schedule the Veteran for an examination to determine the severity of his disability.

The Veteran's claims for hypertension, respiratory disorders, chronic sinus infections, and peripheral neuropathy have been denied as there is no evidence of a disease associated with herbicide exposure during service. The presumptive regulations do not apply in this case due to lack of a qualifying condition.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is not related to his military service or service-connected PTSD.,There is no evidence of left ear hearing loss during service, and the current condition does not meet VA criteria for a disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's current lumbar spine disability, including lumbosacral strain, degenerative disc disease, or herniated disc, was not related to service and denied her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to address the issues of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and an increased rating for residuals of lung cancer. The matter of TDIU will also be addressed on remand.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, and total disability based upon individual unemployability was granted. The Veteran's vitiligo with associated yeast skin disorders is also service connected. A rating of 40% for fibromyalgia was assigned.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a videoconference hearing and addressing new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board found that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea did not have its onset during service and is not a result of service. The examiner concluded that the condition was less likely than not incurred in or caused by the Veteran's service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea had its onset during his service and is therefore granted as service connection.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than July 9, 2010, and November 22, 2013, for the grant of service connection for anosmia and migraine headaches have been granted.,The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for migraine headaches has not met the criteria.

The Veteran's currently demonstrated obstructive sleep apnea was incurred during or a result of his active duty service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the cause of the Veteran's death, acute myelogenous leukemia, was not caused by or related to service or a service-connected disability. The appellant's argument for service connection based on exposure to herbicides and secondary to prostate cancer were not supported.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining a secondary service connection opinion for sleep apnea and issuing a statement of the case regarding his claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a pulmonary disability, including sleep apnea and sarcoidosis, is being remanded due to the need for an additional medical opinion regarding the etiology of his conditions.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to have had its onset during active military service and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's current diagnosis of spondylolisthesis at L5-S1 is found to be the result of a condition first noted during service, specifically spondylolysis at L5. As such, the Board grants service connection for this disorder.