COPD Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's respiratory disabilities, including COPD, chronic bronchitis, and sleep apnea, are not related to his in-service exposure to asbestos and carbon toxins. The most probative evidence supports this conclusion.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory condition, including COPD, is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his VA and SSA records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, to include pulmonary sarcoidosis, is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional evidence from the Social Security Administration.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records from January 1995 to May 1999. The Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and asthma due to asbestos exposure will be reconsidered.

The Veteran's respiratory, heart failure and dementia conditions are not related to his active service. The Board found that the appellant did not provide sufficient evidence to establish a direct or secondary relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for emphysema and COPD, finding that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a left wrist disability, and COPD. The evidence does not establish that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's asbestosis is not productive of any functional impairment and his restrictive and obstructive defects are due to nonservice-connected COPD and congestive heart failure. As such, an initial compensable rating for asbestosis is denied.

The Board has ordered the VA to obtain all relevant treatment records related to the Veteran's July 2006 surgery, including pre-surgery treatment records from Sacred Heart Medical Center. The case is now remanded for further development and readjudication.

The Veteran's lung disability, diagnosed as COPD, bronchiectasis, and mild restrictive lung disease, was not incurred in service or due to a service-connected condition. The claim of entitlement to TDIU lacks legal merit.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to have caused or contributed substantially to his death from adult failure to thrive with generalized debility, due to COPD, chronic respiratory failure, and congestive heart failure.

The Veteran's claim to reopen his left knee disability was denied as new and material evidence had not been received.,Service connection for COPD was also denied, with the Board finding that there is no causal relationship between service and current COPD.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 30 percent for COPD is being remanded due to the need for a current VA examination and opinion regarding the appropriate PFT results used for rating purposes.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the Board finds that his back condition did not contribute substantially or materially to his cause of death. The VA medical opinion provided a negative nexus between the service-connected back disability and the cause of death.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for a respiratory disability, including obstructive and restrictive airway disease, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination opinions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule VA examinations for his hearing loss, tinnitus, respiratory disorder, and skin disorder claims.

The Veteran's respiratory disorder, skin cancer, and PMLE were not incurred or aggravated by service. The Board found no evidence of a relationship between the conditions and service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for COPD, resulting in a denial.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed COPD and heart condition. The issues on appeal are whether service connection should be granted for COPD and a heart condition, to include CHF.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is etiologically related to his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition as secondary to his service-connected COPD and emphysema.