COPD decisions — 2020

The claim for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, including as due to exposure to herbicide agents, has been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence linking the Veteran’s cause of death (aortic valve stenosis and COPD) to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's service-connected asthma and COPD, along with his skin condition affecting his feet, prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for COPD, chronic pleural effusion and fibrosis, residuals of malaria, a back disability, and hypertension due to presumed herbicide exposure during service. The Veteran is not precluded from establishing service connection with proof of direct causation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder, entitlement to a higher initial rating for PTSD, and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The appeals are remanded because additional development is necessary before decisions can be made on these issues.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cardiac disorder, finding that there was no evidence of chronic disease or injury during service and insufficient medical opinion to establish a nexus between current symptoms and service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for COPD, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the hands and feet, and ischemic heart disease were denied as there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and requests for additional information from the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for service connection on multiple issues are being remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and opinions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's OSA is caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD and/or CAD.

The Veteran's appeal for earlier effective dates and higher ratings has been dismissed as the Veteran's representative withdrew his appeals in February 2020.

The Board denied service connection for a pulmonary condition, including chronic bronchitis and COPD, finding that the evidence did not support a link to service or any other exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased COPD evaluation and TDIU due to service-connected disability, as there are outstanding VA treatment records that need to be obtained and a VA examination is needed.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and emphysema/COPD have not met the criteria for a rating in excess of 50 percent, as they do not show chronic respiratory failure with carbon dioxide retention or cor pulmonale, nor require tracheostomy. The current symptoms are adequately reflected by the existing 50% rating.

The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer and ischemic heart disease, finding that the Veteran's occupational duties required him to be present at or near the base perimeter, presumptively exposing him to herbicide agents. Service connection was denied for COPD due to lack of evidence linking it to service.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed respiratory condition (COPD), psychiatric condition, and heart disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence of a pre-existing condition in service or clear and unmistakable aggravation by service. The COPD is attributed to the Veteran's long history of smoking. The psychiatric and heart conditions are not linked to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new VA treatment records not previously considered. The Veteran's claims will be reconsidered with these additional records.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA medical opinion on whether the Veteran's current vertigo is related to service or caused by his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD began during his active service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for COPD, emphysema, heart disease, hypertension, and cerebral infarction residuals as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during service or were otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic bronchitis variant of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since August 1998. The Board is remanding the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a pulmonologist regarding whether medications used to treat his service-connected respiratory disability caused daytime hypersomnolence, drowsiness, or sedation.