COPD decisions — 2005

The Board has determined that the veteran's chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was not incurred in or related to his military service, and thus denied the claim.

The Board denied service connection for ear infections and COPD, finding no evidence of current disorders or a relationship to service.

The Board found that the veteran's asthma preexisted his military service and did not worsen beyond its natural progression during service. The Board also noted no competent medical evidence of an etiological relationship between any current diagnosis of COPD and the veteran's military service.

The veteran's COPD and CHF were not found to be related to his service or exposure to herbicides, and thus denied for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disorder, and Parkinson's disease, were not incurred or aggravated in active military service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these disabilities.

The Board found that the veteran's COPD is not related to his active service, including exposure to Agent Orange during active service.

The Board denied service connection for a lung disability (COPD) and headaches, finding no evidence of exposure to herbicides or other causative factors in the veteran's service records.

The veteran's appeal is remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his COPD with interstitial fibrosis due to asbestosis, and for readjudication of his claim.

The Board found that the veteran's COPD, emphysema, and diverticulitis were not incurred or aggravated by military service. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and radiation exposure during service.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional information and evidence regarding the veteran's lung disorder, including his exposure to nerve gas during service. The claim will be reconsidered based on all available evidence.

The veteran's service-connected COPD was evaluated at a 10 percent rating from March 3, 1995 to February 9, 2003.,From February 10, 2003 onwards, the evaluation increased to 30 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for COPD with a history of asthmatic bronchitis and assigned an initial 60 percent evaluation, effective April 28, 2001. The award of TDIU was also granted as of this date.

The Board has granted a 10 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected sinusitis and found that his current respiratory disability, diagnosed as asthma and COPD, is related to his in-service treatment for sinusitis. The veteran's claims are now resolved in his favor.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for COPD and asbestosis, finding that there was no current diagnosis of asbestosis and that any current COPD began many years after service without relationship to service or asbestos exposure.

The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death was not incurred in service and denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board found that the veteran's cause of death was not caused by a service-connected disability.,VA determined that the appellant did not meet the requirements for Dependents' Educational Assistance under Chapter 35, Title 38, United States Code.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the appellant's currently diagnosed COPD is related to asbestos exposure during his active military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the veteran's breathing problems, hypertension, and headaches were not caused by VA hernia repair surgery in June 1987. The evidence did not support a finding of additional disability resulting from the surgery.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current diagnoses of chronic sinusitis, residuals of viral influenza, or chronic pharyngitis. The claim for a pulmonary disorder (to include emphysema, COPD, and bronchitis) is denied as there is no evidence of such conditions during service and the post-service symptoms are too remote in time to support a finding of in-service onset.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and denied DIC benefits pursuant to 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.