COPD decisions — 2013

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal as he died during the pendency of the appeal.

The VA determined that the Veteran's respiratory disorders were not caused by or related to his active service, including herbicide exposure.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have COPD and has not had it at any time since service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lung disability, other than his service-connected asbestos-related pleural plaques, is not related to his military service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claim for COPD was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability and the Board finds that any such condition is not related to service.,Osteoarthritis claims were also denied, with the Board finding that arthritis did not manifest during service or within one year post-service and is not linked to service.,The Veteran's claim for hepatitis-C infection was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability and it is not related to service.,Scoliosis was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability and the Board finds that any such condition is not related to service.,Chronic dry skin with pruritis claims were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability and the Board finds that any such condition is not related to service or an undiagnosed illness.,The Veteran's claim for joint/muscle pain, memory loss, anxiety, depression, night sweats, mood swings, emotional problems, sleep disturbance, nightmares and neurological symptoms was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability and the Board finds that any such condition is not related to service or an undiagnosed illness.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for his claimed conditions, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by VA care, but rather by a MRSA infection he developed after his cardiac catheterization. The cause of death was determined to be multi-organ failure due to sepsis.

The Board denied service connection for COPD and Sleep Apnea, finding that the conditions did not begin during service or until many years after service, are not presumed to be related to in-service herbicide exposure, and were not caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected type II diabetes.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease status post bypass surgery associated with hypertension was granted an initial rating of 30 percent from February 18, 2004, to July 7, 2010, and a subsequent increased rating to 60 percent effective July 8, 2010.

The Veteran's respiratory disability, most recently assessed as COPD, was caused by exposure to boiler soot while serving on active duty in the U.S. Coast Guard.

The VA has determined that the appellant's lung disability, including asthma, chronic bronchitis, tuberculosis residuals, and COPD, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, including as due to exposure to chemical dioxins in service.

The Board has granted service connection for COPD, arrhythmia, and hypertension due to exposure to mustard gas and other blistering agents during active military service. The Veteran's current diagnoses of these conditions are consistent with the presumptive service connection criteria for diseases associated with herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and COPD contributed substantially or materially to his death, granting service connection for the cause of his death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and a total rating based on individual unemployability are being remanded due to an address update issue.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence to support the claimed conditions and determined that they are not related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected COPD and pleural plaques consistent with asbestosis. The TDIU claim will also be addressed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, cataracts, depression, hypertension, impotency, and vascular disease. The evidence did not establish a direct link between these conditions and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's skin disability (psoriasis) is not causally related to his active duty service. The respiratory disability (COPD/emphysema) claim, if granted, would be secondary to a heart condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's COPD and other respiratory disorders are not related to his active service, as there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to any in-service disease or injury. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding of service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, including COPD and asbestosis, finding that there was no evidence of current asbestosis diagnosis. The Board also found that the Veteran did not have a current respiratory disorder related to his in-service symptoms.