COPD Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for COPD but has remanded the issues of OSA and pulmonary nodules due to conflicting medical opinions.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including a new VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's respiratory disability.

The Board has granted the appellant's petition to reopen his previously denied claim of service connection for COPD. The Board also found that the appellant's kidney stones, bladder stones, prostate disorder, and immune system disorder are not related to his service-connected COPD or any other in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, right femoral hernia, left femoral hernia, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including depressive disorder and PTSD), and COPD have all been denied. The Board found no current diagnoses of these conditions.,There is no evidence showing the Veteran has any current diagnosed sleep apnea, right or left femoral hernias, or an acquired psychiatric disorder (including depressive disorder and PTSD).

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for a respiratory disability, including as secondary to herbicide exposure (Agent Orange), due to the need for an examination and opinion regarding the relationship between current diagnoses of COPD and asthma and in-service exposures.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD was denied in April 2015, and the Board found that new evidence did not establish a nexus between his current condition and his military service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for COPD due to asbestos exposure has been dismissed because the Veteran died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as it is at least as likely as not related to her active service, including noise exposure in service.,The preponderance of the evidence does not support finding that the Veteran’s lung condition began during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.

Service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus is granted. Service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and neuropathy of the left lower extremity are remanded.

The claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss and COPD have been reopened, but the Veteran's request to reopen his dental disorder, back disorder, trigger finger condition in both hands, acquired psychiatric disorder (including bipolar disorder, adjustment disorder, impulse disorder, and anxiety), and PTSD claims are being remanded due to outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death, and the claim for individual unemployability is also dismissed.

The Board denied service connection for asthma and COPD, finding that the evidence did not show a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for eye disabilities and a respiratory disability due to inadequate examinations. The AOJ is instructed to obtain new opinions under the equipoise standard regarding radiation and secondhand smoke exposure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for shortness of breath, diagnosed as COPD, due to exposure to herbicide agents or secondary to his service-connected coronary artery disease (CAD). The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's COPD is related to service or a service-connected condition.

The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of death, finding that there was no evidence to support exposure to herbicide agents in Thailand and thus denying any potential service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD and emphysema, finding that his current respiratory conditions are more likely due to a long history of tobacco use rather than exposure to asbestos during military service.

The claim of entitlement to service connection for COPD has been reopened and granted. The appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is being remanded for a new VA examination to determine if it was aggravated by his service-connected pleural lung disease with COPD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional development, including medical examinations and evidence collection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for COPD and asbestosis due to insufficient evidence, including inadequate pulmonary function test results. The Veteran needs additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his COPD and the severity of his asbestosis.