Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claim of service connection for a sleep disorder, as his current symptoms are not linked to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbosacral spine disability and obstructive sleep apnea are related to his military service, with the evidence being in equipoise on both issues.

The case is being remanded to the RO for further medical clarification regarding a higher rating for traumatic arthritis of the lumbar spine and whether separate ratings are warranted for associated lumbosacral radiculopathy.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a VA examination to address the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea and hypertension.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected chronic lumbosacral strain with post-cloneal nerve block and degenerative disc disease was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher disability rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and its related symptoms, are not service-connected due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between these conditions and his military service or any in-service exposure. The claims for seizure disorder, sleep disorder (including sleep apnea), loss of balance and hand/eye coordination, mood disorder, and amnestic disorder have also been denied as they are not found to be related to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, specifically for her right knee and left foot callus of the 5th metatarsal head. As such, these claims are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to May 7, 2009.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 40% evaluation for lumbosacral strain and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine was denied as there is no evidence showing that his disability warranted such a rating prior to July 26, 2007.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the issues of hypertension, renal dysfunction, bilateral hearing loss disability, sleep apnea, hypoxia, hypersomnia, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the knees and remanded the claims for service connection for right foot arthritis and sleep apnea to allow for further development. The claims are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have sleep apnea that is related to his military service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbosacral disability is being remanded due to the need for clarification regarding whether his condition preexisted service and if so, whether it was aggravated by service. Additionally, VA treatment records dated since July 2008 are needed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to incomplete records and the need for further development, including VA examinations.

The Veteran seeks service connection for sleep apnea, which he claims was incurred during his active duty in the Gulf War. The case is being remanded to obtain a VA examination and address the claim.

The Board found that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, heart disease, and ventral hernia are not related to his military service or any service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as new and material evidence had not been received. The Board recharacterized the issues based on relevant case law, but did not address the merits of these claims.

The Veteran's depression is found to be proximately caused by his service-connected schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, resulting in a grant of service connection for depression.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for her service-connected lumbosacral strain is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and records.