COPD decisions — 2022

The appeal of the service connection claim for tendonitis is dismissed. The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for COPD, hepatitis C, and prostate disorder.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for COPD was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his claim prior to a decision.,Service connection for tinnitus and vertigo were denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service. Bilateral hearing loss is remanded, and any acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) is also remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions and further development is needed before a final decision can be made on the Veteran's claim for service connection for respiratory conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's respiratory disability, including COPD and asbestosis, is not related to his active service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.,Service connection for prostate cancer, including due to exposure to herbicides (Agent Orange), is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran was exposed to Agent Orange and grants presumptive service connection for prostate cancer.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability, to include asthma and COPD is remanded due to the need for additional medical records regarding in-service hospitalization for pneumonia.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a new examination of the Veteran's respiratory disabilities and to determine if his COPD is related to his service-connected lung cancer.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death may be related to his service-connected hypertension, which is presumed to have been caused by in-service herbicide exposure. However, further medical opinion is needed to establish whether this relationship exists and if so, whether it contributed to the Veteran's cause of death.

The Board denied service connection for COPD and the cause of death, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between the Veteran's conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that a medical opinion is necessary to decide the claim for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, which was noted as COPD. The examiner must address whether COPD is at least as likely as not related to in-service environmental exposures in the Southwest Asia theater of operations.

The Board has granted service connection for a respiratory disorder, diagnosed as bronchial asthma and COPD, on the basis of substitution.,The Board has also granted service connection for gastric cancer, on the basis of substitution.

The Board has granted service connection for a right lower lobe granuloma but denied service connection for COPD and emphysema, finding that the Veteran's respiratory conditions did not have their onset in service or due to exposure to an herbicide agent.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection for COPD, including presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for COPD, visual complications of diabetes, aortic stenosis (claimed as heart disability), dermatitis psoriasis (claimed as bilateral foot disability), and TDIU due to procedural issues. The VA examiner is requested to provide an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's COPD was aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), was related to his exposure to Agent Orange during service. As a result, the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the Veteran's bronchial asthma, COPD, and chronic bronchitis. The case will be returned for further development and a new opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and PTSD-related COPD, finding that there is no evidence to support a direct relationship between his current diagnoses of COPD or emphysema and his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disability, an acquired psychiatric disability, and additional bilateral lower extremity vascular disabilities and heart disabilities due to VA medical care. The decision also remanded several issues related to these claims.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder, chronic sinusitis, COPD, and a tremor of the right hand. The Veteran's conditions were not shown to have started during his active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.,There is no evidence that any of these conditions began during the Veteran's period of active service.

The Board has granted service connection for right carpal tunnel syndrome, but denied service connection for a respiratory disorder other than COPD and sleep apnea. The Veteran's right carpal tunnel syndrome is considered a medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness (MUCMI) that manifested to a degree of 10 percent or more and existed for at least six months.