The Board denied service connection for COPD and myocardial infarction, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's military service or his service-connected hypertension. The claim for diabetes mellitus type II was remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no competent evidence of COPD, and the myocardial infarction was less likely than not proximately due to or aggravated by the service-connected hypertension.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Myocardial Infarction, Diabetes Mellitus Type II
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 6, 2021
- Citation
- 21062245
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial increased rating for diabetes mellitus type II and remanded the claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, right shoulder strain with acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis and tendinitis, cervical spine spondylosis, left knee degenerative arthritis, right knee degenerative arthritis, and thoracolumbar scoliosis and lumbar spine degenerative changes.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for COPD as secondary to diabetes and denied increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy conditions, while dismissing claims related to upper extremity neuropathy.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection for insomnia, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and polycythemia vera were dismissed due to procedural issues. The remaining claims are remanded for further development.
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