COPD decisions — 2010

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on the issue of lung cancer is dismissed. The Board also found that hypertension, cervical and lumbar spine stenosis, COPD, BPH, hemorrhoids, and Lyme disease are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claimed conditions were not found to be related to service or exposure to ionizing radiation. Service connection was denied for all issues.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, including asthma and COPD, is being remanded due to conflicting opinions on the nature of his current lung disease. A new examination by a pulmonologist will be conducted.

The appeal has been dismissed as the appellant withdrew it.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for tropical disease. The claims for hypertension, COPD, and depression have also been denied.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to the withdrawal of his appeal by his authorized representative.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected pansinusitis with bilateral nasal polyps contributed substantially or materially to his death from respiratory failure, chronic obstructive lung disease, and community acquired pneumonia.

The Veteran's COPD and pulmonary tuberculosis were not incurred or aggravated by service. The Board denied the claims for service connection.

The Veteran seeks service connection for COPD, asthma, and bronchitis, including as secondary to exposure to herbicides during his Vietnam service. The Board finds that a VA examination is necessary to determine the etiology of these conditions.

The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's COPD to service, including his exposure to asbestos in service. The COPD is instead linked to his long history of smoking.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to determine the cause of the Veteran's death and whether his service-connected bronchiectasis contributed to it.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C, Guillain-Barr Syndrome, residuals of upper respiratory infection (COPD), hypertension, and inguinal and cervical lymphadenopathy. The claims were not reopened.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for bronchitis/COPD and found that new evidence received since the October 1969 denial is sufficient to reopen the claim. The Veteran's service record shows a diagnosis of chronic bronchitis during service, but there is no clear and unmistakable evidence showing that his condition existed prior to service or was aggravated by service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have been incurred in service, and the claim for service connection for pulmonary disease is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's COPD did not have its onset during service and is not related to his service, including his presumed in-service exposure to herbicides. The claim was denied.

The Veteran's COPD was not incurred or aggravated by active service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board denied service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and peripheral artery disease due to lack of credible supporting evidence for the claimed in-service stressors.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded for further evidentiary and due process development, including obtaining records of treatment at Loma Linda VA facility and reviewing submitted new evidence.

The Veteran's COPD was not incurred in or aggravated by his military service, including exposure to asbestos.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for a compensable evaluation for asbestosis and found that there was no objective evidence of restrictive lung disease or residuals from asbestosis. The claim for service connection for COPD was withdrawn by the appellant prior to the decision.