COPD decisions — 2017

The Board found that the Veteran's preexisting asthma was not aggravated by his active duty service, but denied service connection for COPD and emphysema as there is no clear and unmistakable evidence of aggravation.

The Board has determined that there is no competent medical evidence linking the Veteran's low back, left foot, respiratory, or bladder cancer disabilities to service.,As such, the claims for these conditions are denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current respiratory disability, including COPD and chronic bronchiectasis, is causally related to his symptoms during service. As such, the criteria for service connection have been met.

The Veteran's current pulmonary disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, including as due to herbicide or asbestos exposure. Service connection is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, to include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is being remanded due to the need for additional development and an updated VA examination.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records and scheduling an examination. The Veteran's claim of service connection for chronic lung disability (asbestosis, COPD, and asthma) is being reviewed.

The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death, COPD, was not caused by exposure to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune or due to service-related environmental hazards. The opinion concluded that his COPD was not related to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence showing a lung or pulmonary disorder of any kind to be etiologically related to service, including in-service exposure to asbestos. The Veteran's current lung disability is more likely due to his long-standing history of smoking.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active military service and granted service connection for this condition. The remaining claims of service connection for left foot disability, left big toe disability, and COPD are remanded due to outstanding records and need for medical examination.

The Veteran's death was not due to or the result of service-connected conditions. The Board found that none of the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 were met, and therefore denied the claim.

The Veteran's service-connected GERD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are found to be the primary causes of his diagnosed depressive disorder with anxious distress features. The Board grants service connection for this acquired psychiatric disability on a secondary basis.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, lung cancer, and GERD. The VA examiner will be asked to provide an opinion on whether each current breathing/respiratory disability was incurred in or caused by active service, including the in-service asbestos exposure.

The Veteran seeks service connection for respiratory problems, including COPD and emphysema, which he claims are related to asbestos exposure while serving aboard the USS Helena. The VA has provided a medical opinion linking his COPD and emphysema to minimal possible significant asbestos exposure in service. However, this opinion is deemed inadequate due to lack of clear conclusions with supporting data.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current pulmonary disorder, including asbestosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is etiologically related to his period of active service. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and initial ratings in excess of 30 percent for status-post right total knee replacement were denied. The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's current conditions to his active service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a VA examination to evaluate his pulmonary and/or respiratory disorders, including COPD; bronchial asthma; chronic airway obstruction; and chronic obstructive asthma, unspecified. The examiner will address the etiology of these conditions and whether they are related to service.

The Board denied service connection for atrial fibrillation, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and COPD as secondary to service-connected PTSD. The Veteran's disabilities were not found to be directly related to his military service or exposure to herbicides.

The Board found that the service-connected pulmonary tuberculosis did not cause or contribute to the Veteran's death, and other non-service connected conditions were the primary causes of his death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disease, to include COPD, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Veteran's sinus condition was not caused or aggravated by active military service.,New and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for low back pain with sciatica, but it is not etiologically related to service.,CTS of the left upper extremity was not caused or aggravated by active military service or a service-connected disability.,Evidence received since the May 2007 rating decision raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim for diabetes mellitus; however, the Veteran's COPD is not etiologically related to service.,New and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for hypertension. The evidence does not show that this condition was caused or aggravated by service-connected PTSD.,Fibromyalgia was not caused or aggravated by active military service.,The Veteran's application to reopen his previously denied claim for ureaplasma urealyticum (to include infertility, low sperm count, and low testosterone) has not been supported by new and material evidence.