COPD decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for asthma, emphysema, and COPD due to a lack of discussion in the VA medical examiner's opinion regarding relevant information from a treatise.

The Veteran's COPD is related to his exposure to Agent Orange during service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's depression is part of his service-connected PTSD and already considered in the assigned rating.,Psoriatic arthritis was not shown as chronic during service, did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period, and continuity of symptomatology is not established; therefore, it is denied.,COPD was not shown as chronic during service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period. The disability is also not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury or disease, including exposure to herbicide agents; thus, it is denied.,Carcinoma of the back was not shown as chronic during service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period. The disability is also not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury or disease, including exposure to herbicide agents; therefore, it is denied.,From May 15, 2008 to April 2, 2010, and from July 9, 2018, the Veteran's service-connected PTSD did not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation. From April 2, 2010 to July 9, 2018, the issue of TDIU is moot.

The Board has denied service connection for breathing disorder (COPD), obstructive sleep apnea, heart disorder, and high cholesterol. The case is remanded to obtain a VA examination regarding hypertension.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lung disorders are not related to his in-service service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for COPD.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, bronchial asthma, and COPD due to incomplete medical records from the United States Marshal Service.

The reduction in rating for bilateral hearing loss from 20% to noncompensable effective November 1, 2014 was upheld. The claim for service connection for COPD was denied as new and material evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's respiratory disorders and his military service, specifically exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, asthma, and sleep apnea due to PTSD. The examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service or an undiagnosed illness.

The Board has dismissed the issue of entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 70 percent disabling for the period prior to December 28, 2017, and 100 percent disabling for the period thereafter, for service-connected PTSD due to withdrawal. The Veteran's hypertension is granted as presumptively related to his Vietnam-era exposure. The Board has remanded issues of service connection for a respiratory disability (including chronic cough and COPD), sleep apnea (secondary to PTSD), and heart disability (including heart disease and atrial fibrillation) due to the need for additional development.

The Board has denied service connection for COPD and granted a TDIU, but the issues of an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for MDD from April 14, 2015, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbar spine disability prior to December 10, 2019, are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and opinion due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for COPD, hypertension, and sleep apnea as there are questions regarding the qualifications of the VA examiner who conducted the initial examinations. The Veteran's service connection claims will be reconsidered with new evidence.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for COPD and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The VA examinations were not sufficient to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were dismissed due to his death, as there is no pending appeal at the time of his death.

The Veteran's asthma is granted service connection, but his COPD claim is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of gynecomastia and had not had one at any time during the pendency of the claim or recent to the filing of the claim.,For COPD, CAD, diabetes mellitus, right lower extremity neuropathy, and left lower extremity neuropathy, the Board has determined that service connection is remanded as there are no presumptive diseases associated with contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's respiratory or breathing disorder is not shown to be causally related to his military service.,VA treatment records show the Veteran has a history of back pain and bowel/bladder issues, but these are not linked to VA care.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability, including COPD and asthma, finding that the evidence did not support a nexus between his current condition and service.