COPD decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the claims for COPD, a disability manifested by fatigue, bronchitis, fibromyalgia, ulcerative colitis, lupus, and memory loss due to insufficient competent medical evidence on file.

The Board has granted service connection for Meniere's disease, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea on a secondary basis to the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus and depressive disorder.,Service connection was denied for gout, back condition, and COPD as there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's shortness of breath, including COPD, is aggravated by his service-connected Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The Veteran contends that his shortness of breath began early in chemotherapy and has not changed since his lymphoma went into remission.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding service connection for a respiratory disability, including as due to asbestos exposure. The Veteran's claims are pending and will be reviewed again with additional evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, but new and material evidence was received to reopen the claim of a psychiatric disability. Service connection is granted for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the Veteran's cause of death, specifically his service-connected PTSD and cardiovascular conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of any current respiratory disability other than pleural plaques, including COPD and emphysema. The Veteran was scheduled for a VA examination but failed to attend.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory condition, including asbestosis and/or COPD, is being remanded due to the need for further development. The low back disability has been granted based on continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board denied service connection for COPD and dismissed the TDIU claim as moot due to the Veteran's receipt of a 100% rating for coronary artery disease.

The Board has remanded the claims for rectal cancer and COPD due to herbicide exposure as there are outstanding records from relevant medical facilities that have not been obtained.

The Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for a respiratory disorder (COPD) and gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD) are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.,Service connection is sought for a respiratory disorder, including as due to herbicide agent exposure. The Veteran's service records show he had upper respiratory infections in 1970 and 1972, which may be related to his current COPD diagnosis.,The Veteran seeks service connection for GERD, claiming it developed from his service-connected disabilities or due to herbicide agent exposure. A VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of his gastrointestinal disorder.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for respiratory disorder, including COPD, chronic bronchitis and emphysema, has been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran. The Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate this matter as it is no longer pending.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to inadequate medical opinions regarding service connection for COPD and diabetes.

The Veteran's respiratory disability, including COPD, emphysema and asthma, is granted on a presumptive basis due to exposure to burn pits under the PACT Act. The claim is remanded for further development regarding direct or secondary service connection.

The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disorder, including as due to herbicide exposure. The Board also granted restoration of the 60 percent rating for CAD and TDIU from June 18, 2009 to August 2, 2017.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, but the other issues related to hearing loss, wrist disorder, foot disorder, asthma, and COPD are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and the need for additional medical opinions. The Veteran's respiratory disabilities, including COPD, emphysema, pleural plaquing, and fibrotic scarring of the lungs with associated decreased lung capacity, are being reviewed.

The Board has remanded four issues related to service connection for COPD, an acquired psychiatric disability, sleep apnea, and onychomycosis of the feet. The VA examinations need to be supplemented with addendum opinions that address whether these conditions are related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his in-service asbestos exposure and his diagnosed respiratory disorders (Pulmonary Fibrosis and COPD), which were deemed not related to service.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for hypothyroidism, COPD, and hypertension due to exposure during active duty. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.