Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has granted a 50 percent disability rating for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, effective March 8, 2005.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that it was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus.

The Board is remanding the case to allow the Veteran to have a hearing before a Veterans' Law Judge at the RO, and for further development as needed.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by exposure to ionizing radiation during his service, and therefore denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for retinitis pigmentosa and is remanding it to determine if there was in-service aggravation of a pre-existing condition. The Veteran's retinitis pigmentosa may have existed prior to his military service, but whether it worsened during service beyond its natural progression will be determined by a VA examiner.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain with Schmorl's node T-11 is not rated higher than 20 percent, and his left ankle disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service. The claim for increased ratings is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected lumbar strain with radiating pain is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations and consideration of extra-schedular considerations.

The Board denied service connection for lumbosacral strain and herpes simplex of the lips, but granted service connection for a dental disability for treatment purposes only.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 60 percent for the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease, finding that the evidence did not show an exceptional or unusual disability picture with marked interference with employment or frequent periods of hospitalization.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain, right knee disability, and reactive airway disease were granted with the assigned ratings.

The Veteran's claims for service connection on multiple conditions are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional VA treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU rating is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion regarding his employability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and sleep apnea to obtain clarification on whether he was on Active Duty Training (ACDUTRA) in June 2002 when diagnosed with hypertension, and to determine if his pre-existing sleep apnea worsened during his second period of active duty service from October 2003 to July 2004.

The Veteran seeks an increased rating for his service-connected lumbosacral strain with herniated nucleus pulposus. The Board has remanded the case to determine if there are any additional issues related to urinary and bowel incontinence, which may be a result of his service-connected back disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for lumbosacral strain and bilateral hearing loss were denied. The Board found that the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine and right hip have been rated at their maximum allowable levels, with no further increase in rating granted.

The Veteran's arthritis of bilateral knees is not service-connected, and his lumbosacral spine disorder has been rated at 10% since July 2003. The claim for a separate rating for arthritis was denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's skin disorder of the face, claimed as residuals of burns including rosacea, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The Board also found that depression did not manifest during service and is not causally related to or aggravated by any service-connected disability.