COPD Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for COPD has been dismissed as he requested to withdraw his appeal.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's respiratory conditions, including COPD and asthma, may have been aggravated during his active duty training in August 2011. However, due to insufficient evidence from a VA examiner regarding this claim, the case is being sent back for further examination.

The Veteran's appeal of vision problems and COPD was dismissed. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection for COPD due to lack of evidence linking it to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for breathing (pulmonary) disability, including asthma and COPD. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

This appeal is dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus. The service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied because there is no current diagnosis of a hearing loss disability by VA standards.,The claims for emphysema with COPD and residuals of a spontaneous pneumothorax, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, and PTSD are all remanded as the Veteran's symptoms have worsened since his last examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination and incomplete medical records. The Veteran's respiratory disorder, including COPD, needs further evaluation by a VA examiner.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, as there is no evidence of any service-related conditions that contributed to his cause of death. The Board found the evidence insufficient to establish a nexus between the Veteran’s hypertension, dilated cardiomyopathy, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for asbestosis, but the issues of service connection for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are remanded due to insufficient opinions regarding their relationship with asbestosis.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the service-connected porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) and its treatment caused or aggravated the Veteran's end-stage renal disease, which contributed to his death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the inextricability of his acquired psychiatric disorder with other conditions. The VA will need to determine if these secondary conditions are related to his service-connected condition or another diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's COPD with emphysema is being remanded for further evaluation, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and a VA pulmonary examination to determine if it arose during service or is related to service exposure.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for COPD and chronic bronchitis due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran's pulmonary disabilities are believed to be related to her smoking history, which is not directly linked to service.

The Board denied service connection for fibromyalgia, CFS, and COPD. It granted an initial rating of 70 percent for PTSD from June 30, 2015, but denied a higher initial rating or TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has determined that there is new and material evidence to support reopening of his claims. The appeals are remanded for further development including VA examinations and opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran’s current conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's COPD with pulmonary fibrosis required outpatient oxygen therapy prior to December 10, 1999 and the Board granted a 100% rating for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, COPD, and a heart disorder other than hypertension due to insufficient evidence of record.

The Veteran's respiratory disability, diagnosed as COPD and asthma, was not incurred in or aggravated by service. The Board found insufficient evidence to establish a link between the current disabilities and service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to have contributed substantially to his death from coronary artery disease.,However, the VA examiner concluded that the PTSD did not cause the coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's tinnitus, sleep apnea, pulmonary hypertension, COPD, bronchitis, and asthma are granted as service-connected.,A 10 percent rating is granted for the fractured proximal joint right great toe with degenerative arthritis since July 7, 2016.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for right and left knee replacements, as well as emphysema and COPD. The Veteran's statements indicate she experienced injuries during service that led to her current conditions.