Sleep apnea Board decisions

The VA determined that the veteran's lumbosacral sprain disability did not warrant a rating higher than 40 percent, as there was no evidence of ankylosis or incapacitating episodes of intervertebral disc syndrome.

The veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, hypertension, heart disability including coronary artery disease, sleep apnea, and peripheral neuropathy (ulnar mononeuropathy) were all denied. The evidence did not show that any of these conditions started during or were otherwise related to the veteran's military service.

The veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for lumbosacral spine disability, and his case has been remanded due to a related claim of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in a previous rating decision.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his ability to engage in substantially gainful employment.

The veteran's claim for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion regarding his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions including right eye disability, left eye disability, hemorrhoids, sinus disability, sleep apnea, and asbestosis. The veteran's claims have not been substantiated.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating of his low back disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating than 20 percent.

The Board finds that the veteran's low back disorder, manifested by facet arthritis at L5-S1, likely existed prior to service and was aggravated during active duty. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable due to their combined effect, as they allow for some form of substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's lumbosacral strain with sciatica and degenerative disc disease, currently rated at 40 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee arthritis, pitting edema of the lower extremities, insomnia with fatigue, and hypertension. The effective dates for these grants are set at March 8, 2000.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions and therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for his service-connected knee disabilities and other conditions were denied.,Service connection was not established for fibromyalgia, residuals of a back injury, diabetes mellitus, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), sleep apnea, chronic pain, atypical chest pain, psoriasis, arthritis of multiple joints, or cervical spine disability.

The Board found that the veteran's current back disorder developed many years after service and is not shown to have been caused by any incident of service. Therefore, the claim for service connection was denied.

The veteran's bilateral pes planus is rated at 30 percent, and his right knee lateral instability and lumbosacral strain are both rated appropriately.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and entitlement to TDIU. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the veteran's sleep apnea to his military service.

The veteran's PTSD is granted as related to his service, and he is awarded a 100% rating for bilateral hearing loss disability. The lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis is also granted.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied, but new evidence was received that may reopen his claim for a low back disability. The veteran is presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for depression, breathing problems (including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and rhinitis), erectile dysfunction, neck disability, sleep apnea, and increased rating for chronic back strain. The decision also addressed whether new and material evidence had been received to reopen previously denied claims.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine with scoliosis warrants a 20 percent disability rating, effective October 22, 2004.