Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has granted an increased rating of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain with arthritis, effective June 2003. The claim for an increased rating for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is remanded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and rosacea, finding no evidence of a current diagnosis or link to service.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the July 7, 1994 rating decision that denied service connection for lumbosacral strain.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, degenerative disease of the lumbosacral spine, and bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his service.

The veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbodorsosacral spine is being remanded due to incomplete examination records and the need for additional medical evaluations.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected chronic lumbosacral joint sprain warrants a disability rating of 40 percent, reflecting severe limitation of motion in the thoracolumbar spine.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and sleep apnea as secondary to the veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected degenerative joint disease/degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, left knee, and right knee were denied as he does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board has determined that the veteran's sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected nasal fracture, and granted service connection for this condition.

The veteran's appeal for an increased disability rating for degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine secondary to trauma has been dismissed as he expressed satisfaction with the assigned ratings.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his lumbosacral strain was denied due to his failure to appear for a VA examination scheduled in October 2005 without providing good cause.

The veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain with residuals of lumbosacral surgery due to degenerative disc disease is currently rated at 40 percent, which approximates severe limitation of motion and other symptoms. The current rating adequately reflects the severity of his disability.

The VA determined that the veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, with a herniated disc, does not warrant a rating higher than 20 percent.

The veteran's earlier effective date claims for COPD and TDIU were decided, with the COPD claim granted but the TDIU claim denied.

The VA determined that the veteran's lumbosacral strain did not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent, as it did not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of this level.

The Board has found that the veteran's current lumbar spine disability is related to an in-service back injury, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The RO determined that the veteran's service-connected chronic lumbosacral strain does not warrant a higher rating than the current 20 percent, based on her symptoms and medical evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for lumbosacral degenerative disc disease with spondylosis and denied his claim for an earlier effective date for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability. The veteran was not granted any new ratings or effective dates.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and consideration, including obtaining medical records from private physicians and the Social Security Administration.

The veteran's cervical strain/sprain with elements of myofascial pain syndrome and lumbosacral strain are currently rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds that neither condition warrants a higher rating based on current evidence.