COPD Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's pulmonary disability and its relationship to service exposure. The VA needs to obtain updated medical records, schedule a new examination, and provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's current conditions are related to his service.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral eye disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and sleep disturbance), and a respiratory disorder (COPD) due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.,The Veteran's failure to report for VA examinations related to his claims resulted in their denial.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and COPD have been rated based on their current severity. The Board has remanded the claims for further development to obtain medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his hand tremors and acquired psychiatric disorder.,The Veteran's service-connected COPD does not warrant a compensable rating as it is currently manifested by mild pulmonary impairment. His claim for an increased rating is therefore denied.,The Veteran has been diagnosed with hand tremors, which are related to his in-service right hand injury. The Board has remanded the claim for further development to obtain medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his hand tremors.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is currently not service-connected. The Board has remanded the claim for further development to obtain medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied service connection for lung cancer and COPD, finding that the evidence does not support a link to exposure at Camp Lejeune or any other in-service event.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for COPD due to insufficient medical opinion regarding causation. The Veteran's smoking history and presumed exposure to Agent Orange are considered, but a supplemental opinion is needed.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,COPD and a neurological disorder of the bilateral upper extremities are remanded for further development.,Diabetes mellitus, type II, requires additional examination to determine if it warrants an increased rating.,Bilateral hearing loss is also remanded for evaluation.,The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection on a direct basis.

The Veteran's skin disability was granted a 60% rating. Service connection for COPD was denied as the condition is not related to service, including exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, COPD, and chronic fatigue syndrome are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions. The claim for a skin condition is denied as there is no current diagnosis other than scars of the head and neck.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied due to lack of new and material evidence.,Tinnitus has been granted as the Veteran provided new and material evidence indicating his belief that in-service events caused his tinnitus.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient etiology opinions and need for updated treatment records. The Veteran's respiratory disabilities, including asbestosis and COPD, are being reviewed again.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for allergic rhinitis, COPD (manifested by shortness of breath), IBS with bloody stool, and diverticulitis are all denied as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions began during service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous directives and requests for an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including emphysema.

The appeal for service connection and increased ratings for various conditions is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development regarding the Veteran's claims of service connection for emphysema or COPD, specifically related to exposure to hazardous cleaning materials and/or asbestos. The AOJ must now verify any reported asbestos exposure during service and obtain a medical opinion on whether such exposure caused the Veteran's respiratory disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding in-service asbestos exposure and a need for an addendum opinion on whether COPD is related to service.

The Board has denied service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 2, lung cancer and COPD, as well as disabilities of the right and left hands. The claims are being remanded due to incomplete records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional medical examinations and to obtain outstanding VA treatment records. The issues include service connection for a respiratory condition (asthma, lung scarring, COPD) and an initial compensable disability rating for folliculitis.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a lower back condition and a respiratory condition, including COPD. Additional STRs from the Veteran's first period of service need to be obtained, and if available, a supplemental medical nexus opinion will be needed.

The Board denied service connection for amblyopia (claimed as defective vision), COPD, and bladder cancer. The Veteran's claim was also remanded for additional development regarding hypertension.,Service connection for these conditions could not be established due to lack of a chronic disability in or after service, absence of evidence linking the disabilities to service, and inability to establish continuity of symptomatology.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current condition and military service or exposure to asbestos.