COPD Board decisions

The appeal to reopen service connection for a heart condition is granted. The appeal seeking an increased compensable evaluation for COPD is remanded.

The Veteran's 38 U.S.C. 1151 claim for side effects of medication taken for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is being remanded due to additional evidence received since March 2015.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his right wrist, right ankle, and first metatarsophalangeal joint conditions have been denied.,His claim for a higher rating for pleuritic chest pain with pleural adhesions, chronic bronchitis, and COPD has also been denied.

The Veteran's COPD was rated at 30 percent prior to October 25, 2007 and granted a rating of 60 percent since that date. The Court reversed the Board's decision on the issue of entitlement to a higher rating for COPD from October 25, 2007.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete VA medical records and a need to reconsider whether he served in Vietnam, which could affect his eligibility for Agent Orange exposure presumptions. The claims will be returned to the RO for further review.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied in 2009. The Board has reopened the claim for a right hip disability and remanded it, but did not reach the merits of other claims due to lack of evidence.

The claim for service connection for bronchial asthma and COPD is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions. The Veteran's pre-existing conditions are under review.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records, specifically those related to the Veteran's heart problems and myocardial infarction in the 1980s. The appellant is asked to provide information about where the Veteran was treated for his heart issues, including Dr. Rebecca.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service personnel records and deck logs, as well as a need for a medical opinion regarding the cause of death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD and CAD are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected asbestosis, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for COPD and asbestosis service connection is denied. The RO has already assigned the earliest possible effective date of March 17, 2016.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD is at least as likely as not related to his in-service asbestos exposure and has granted service connection for COPD.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, PTSD, and anxiety disorder. The claims are remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's service connection claims for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and coronary artery disease. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for his claimed conditions as there is no link between them and his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to a lack of evidence showing that his COPD, pulmonary nodules, and bouts of pneumonia were related to service or VA care.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's respiratory disability, including COPD and rejection of a transplanted lung, was related to his service in Vietnam. The VA is instructed to obtain any outstanding records and provide an opinion from a VA physician on the etiology of these disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal includes requests for effective dates of May 13, 2008 for special monthly compensation based on housebound status and for a 100 percent evaluation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The Board has determined that these issues are intertwined and requires the issuance of a Statement of the Case.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals in all matters, including service connection for variously diagnosed skin condition, residuals of a right forearm and elbow GSW, systemic arthritis, COPD, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and PTSD.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that none of his causes of death were considered service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases of COPD, sleep apnea, hypertension, congestive heart failure, and diabetes mellitus, type II for further inquiry into the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents while stationed in Korea.