COPD Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for coronary artery disease has been granted. The appeal for service connection for respiratory disorder (other than upper airway resistance syndrome), to include COPD, is being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50% prior to July 19, 2016. The Board has remanded the issues of right lower extremity neuropathy and a pulmonary disability to include COPD claimed as the result of asbestos and chemical exposure for further development. The TDIU issue is also remanded.

The Board dismissed all claims for service connection due to the death of the appellant.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, finding that there is no evidence to support a direct or secondary relationship between his current COPD and either his military service or his service-connected coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's application for S-DVI was denied due to his service-connected disabilities and non-service-connected conditions. The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional medical records, ensure compliance with VA underwriting requirements, and reassess the numerical rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy has been reopened and granted. The Board also remanded the claims for service connection for a respiratory disability to include asthma and COPD, as well as his TDIU claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any respiratory disabilities, including whether they are service-connected or aggravated by pre-existing conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for COPD, bilateral interstitial fibrosis, pneumoconiosis, asbestosis and biapical pleural parenchymal thickening due to insufficient evidence in the record regarding their etiology. A new VA examination is required.

The Board has dismissed the claims for COPD and prostate cancer, and has remanded the claim of asbestosis due to in-service asbestos exposure.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, including obtaining VA treatment records and verifying potential exposure to asbestos. The Veteran's service connection claims are not granted as there is no evidence linking his current conditions to his military service.

The Board has denied service connection for sleep apnea and COPD, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions, including his shoulder disorders, foot disorder, GERD, and respiratory disorder. The claims are being remanded for further action.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sinusitis and/or allergic rhinitis, asthma and associated COPD, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including anxiety and depression), and obstructive sleep apnea. The remaining issues of service connection for sensorineural bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the cause of the Veteran's COPD, including his alleged exposure to chemicals during service. The claim will be returned for further development and a supplemental medical opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for his pulmonary disorders, finding that there was no evidence of asbestos exposure during service and insufficient medical opinion to establish a link between current conditions and military service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is granted as presumed due to herbicide exposure. The cases for COPD and a psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for an additional medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's pulmonary disorder, including COPD, IPF and lung nodules, is related to his military service, specifically exposure to herbicide agents like Agent Orange.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's respiratory disabilities and their relationship to service, including any service-connected conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hand muscle joint pain, right hand muscle joint pain, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) bronchial asthma. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.,There is no current objective evidence linking the Veteran’s claimed right hand cramping to his environmental exposures during deployment in Southwest Asia.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for COPD and CAD were denied. The VA determined that the evidence did not support a higher rating for COPD prior to January 25, 2016, or for CAD.