COPD decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded several claims, including service connection for COPD, heart conditions, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, anemia, gallstones, and glaucoma. The Veteran's exposure to asbestos during service as a boiler technician is conceded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for migraine including migraine variants and COPD due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examinations and a need for further development regarding the Veteran's exposure to asbestos during service. The Veteran is also seeking service connection for COPD, which may be related to his exposure to herbicides in Vietnam.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The claim for a respiratory disability (originally claimed as sarcoidosis) was reopened, but the service connection for COPD remains denied.

The Veteran's death was not due to service-connected conditions, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure. The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's respiratory disorders, including asthma and COPD. The VA examiner is asked to provide an addendum opinion addressing whether these conditions are related to service, specifically exposure to herbicide agents, and if they are proximately caused or aggravated by any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for coronary artery disease, scar status post CAD, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease due to inadequate development of evidence. The Veteran's death certificate indicates respiratory failure as a result of COPD/CHF.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, a penile disorder, diabetes mellitus type II, and TMJ dysfunction. The appeals are remanded for additional development regarding COPD, right lung removal, and a headache disorder.,SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ is denied as there is no service-connected disability related to the Veteran's condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and relationship of COPD and fibrosis to service, specifically exposure to herbicide agents. The Veteran's claim for service connection is now pending with a request for further examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, finding that there is no current disability during the appellate period.

The Board has denied service connection for cause of death, finding that the Veteran's acute renal failure, dyspnea/COPD/respiratory failure, coronary artery disease (CAD), and hypertension were not incurred in or related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's respiratory condition, specifically chronic bronchitis and COPD. The case is now pending for further development and an addendum VA medical opinion.

The Board denied service connection for respiratory disorder, GI disorder, CV disorder, and prostate cancer as the evidence did not support a finding of in-service exposure to herbicides or direct causation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD as it did not begin in, nor is it related to, active-duty service.

The Board denied service connection for neck disorder, back disorder, left upper and lower extremity radiculopathy, right ankle condition, bilateral carotid artery disease, COPD, and tinnitus.,There is no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service event that supports the Veteran's claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error, requiring a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's lung disability.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for liver adenocarcinoma and cause of death due to duty-to-assist errors in the VA medical opinions provided.

The Board denied service connection for emphysema with COPD, finding that the Veteran did not have a disease or injury related to his active duty service and there was no evidence of a nexus between the current disability and service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for asbestosis with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to inadequate medical evidence. The case must be returned for further action.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease (CAD) has resulted in a workload of 3 METs or less, meeting the criteria for a 100 percent disability rating under Diagnostic Code 7017.