COPD Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's COPD and his active duty service. The Veteran will need to provide additional medical evidence or undergo another VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's sleep apnea and his service-connected COPD. The Veteran needs a new examination to determine if his sleep apnea is related to service or caused by his COPD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of his emphysematous-type COPD, finding that there was no in-service incurrence or aggravation of an existing disability and thus failing to meet the third requirement for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of a 50 percent evaluation for obstructive sleep apnea with COPD is denied. The effective date cannot be earlier than August 26, 2018 as it was more than one year after his separation from service.

The claim of service connection for ischemic heart disease is granted. The claim of service connection for a respiratory disorder, to include COPD, is remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's COPD and service connection for post-excision lipoma. The claim will be reconsidered with a VA medical opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's applications to reopen claims for service connection for various conditions, including back disability, neck disability, PTSD, COPD, sleep apnea, and diabetes mellitus. The evidence did not show a relationship between these conditions and military service.

The Veteran's COPD is granted as secondary to herbicide exposure. Service connection for chronic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis are remanded.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for low back disability, COPD, hypertension, and bilateral hearing loss due to potential new information regarding herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The Veteran's claims are not yet decided.

The Board has remanded the case due to deficiencies in the previous decision regarding exposure to ionizing radiation and the determination of whether the Veteran's lung disorders are related to such exposure. The case will be referred for further processing under VA regulations.

The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disorder, finding that the Veteran's COPD and emphysema are related to tobacco use during his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and obstructive sleep apnea due to inadequate VA examinations, exposure to burn pits during active duty, and obesity as a potential factor in his respiratory and sleep disorders.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's respiratory disability and service-connected pleural calcifications, as well as the potential impact of asbestos exposure.

The Veteran's CAD status post CABG is rated at 100 percent, effective May 13, 2020.,The Veteran's COPD is rated at 60 percent, effective July 20, 2018.

The Veteran's service connection claims for PTSD, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and COPD are all granted. The Veteran is also granted service connection for PTSD with depression and anxiety.

The Board denied service connection for a chronic lung disability, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the Veteran's current COPD and his military service.

The appeal to reopen a claim for service connection for traumatic brain injury based on the receipt of new and material evidence is granted. The claims for service connection for other conditions are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to his service-connected PTSD, which contributed substantially or materially to his death. The claims for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 and § 1318 are dismissed as moot.

The Board has granted service connection for asthma, but has remanded the issue of service connection for COPD due to a lack of medical opinion regarding its relationship to asthma.

The Veteran's service connection for PTSD is granted, and his rating for IBS is increased to 10 percent. The Veteran was also granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.