COPD Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine, COPD (also claimed as asthma), and hepatitis B due to incomplete records. The Veteran's service treatment records were not obtained until January 2017.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for his COPD, finding that the evidence did not support such a higher rating based on the pre-bronchodilator FEV-1 and FEV-1/FVC results.

The Board has remanded the cases for further action due to new evidence received after the April 2017 SOC.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death, finding that there was no evidence linking the Veteran's cause of death to his active duty service or any service-connected disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remands and requests for medical opinions. The claim will be reviewed again to determine if the Veteran's service-connected PTSD was related to his in-service exposure to Agent Orange, which may have caused or aggravated his COPD and pneumonia.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for emphysema due to asbestos exposure should be remanded for further development and examination.

The Veteran's COPD was granted service connection, but SMC based on the need for aid and attendance is also granted. The other conditions were dismissed.

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

The Veteran's lung disability and pneumonia were not caused by VA surgery, as COPD and asthma pre-existed the surgery and worsened naturally. The Board denied compensation for these conditions.

The claim of service connection for bladder cancer is remanded. The claims of service connection for asthma and COPD are denied.

The Board has remanded the case for a medical opinion regarding the Veteran's COPD and its relation to service, as well as whether his PTSD caused or aggravated his tobacco use. The cause of death is respiratory failure due to intra-abdominal sepsis, bowel perforation during complicated colonoscopy, and Crohn’s Disease.

The Board has denied all service connection claims, including for COPD and asthma, as well as psychiatric disorders, lower back disability, neck disability, right thigh and knee disabilities, fibromyalgia, shoulder and arm disabilities, elbow, wrist and hand disabilities, hip disabilities, left leg and ankle-foot disabilities, and left knee and shoulder-and-arm disabilities. The claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus was also denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's respiratory disability, specifically his claimed asthma and COPD. The VA needs to obtain additional medical records and conduct a new examination with a different examiner to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD was denied in October 2017, and new evidence has not been received to reopen the claim.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychological condition (to include anxiety and depression) is reopened. The Board finds that the newly submitted evidence raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II was denied in October 2017, and new evidence has not been received to reopen the claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, tinnitus, dermatitis, COPD, and bilateral peripheral neuropathy, prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea, hypertension, and COPD due to insufficient opinions regarding direct service connection. The Veteran is also requested to provide additional private treatment records.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for COPD, lung cancer, an oncocytoma, and ESRD due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. Additional development is needed to obtain updated VA treatment records and expert medical opinions.

The Board has denied service connection for a respiratory disability, including COPD and asthma. The issue of secondary service connection for obstructive sleep apnea on the basis of PTSD is remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for COPD and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with Nephropathy due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection, including a need for VA examinations.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a pulmonary lung disorder, bilateral shoulder osteoarthritis, and thoracolumbar spine osteoarthritis have been granted. The Board found that the Veteran has these conditions as part of his already service-connected generalized arthritic process.