Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining updated treatment records and a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected lumbosacral strain and any right leg disability.

The Board has remanded the case for scheduling a videoconference hearing due to the Veteran's request.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep disorder, including insomnia and sleep apnea, did not have its clinical onset in service or is otherwise related to active duty. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's current sleep apnea is causally related to his in-service complaints of sleep problems, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether sleep apnea is related to service or diabetes mellitus. The Veteran will need a VA examination with a sleep specialist to address these issues.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his service-connected lumbosacral spine disability, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and right ankle strain have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support assigning an initial rating greater than 10 percent for any of these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's sleep apnea was not incurred in or aggravated by service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected low back disability is rated at 20 percent, effective January 1, 1998. The claim for TDIU prior to June 10, 2013, was granted.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected lumbosacral strain was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's service connection for tardive dyskinesia has been granted.,Service connection for left eye twitching is also established.

The Veteran has been diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and the Board finds that this condition had its onset during his active service. The Board grants service connection for OSA.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is aggravated by service-connected sinusitis and rhinitis, and he is granted a maximum 50 percent rating for his chronic maxillary sinusitis. The Veteran's coccydynia is rated at the maximum allowable under Diagnostic Code 5298 due to painful residuals of removal of the coccyx. His GERD claim was not addressed in this decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is not caused or aggravated by his service-connected low back disability, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea was not incurred in or caused by his military service and denied his claim for service connection. The increased rating claims for sensory deficit of the right thigh and low back disability were also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbosacral spine disability, hypertension, and gastrointestinal disability are not related to active service or any incident of service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability and granted it. The claims for hypertension, left knee disability, right knee disability, residuals of malaria, and arthritis (secondary to shell fragment wounds) are also granted.

The Board has determined that further development is needed, including additional examinations and opinions, to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for an increased evaluation for anxiety disorder and TDIU.

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

The Veteran's claim to reopen service connection for defective vision in the right eye was denied as new and material evidence had not been received. The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his chronic lumbosacral strain was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia, sleep apnea, a skin disorder, and a GI disorder other than GERD or IBS have all been denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.