COPD decisions — 2017

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, to include COPD. However, the evidence does not support a finding that his current condition is related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and inadequate medical opinions regarding the cause of death. The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is alleged to have contributed to his failure to thrive, cardiovascular conditions, and ultimately his death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional records and a VA examination. The issues include reopening her diabetes mellitus claim, seeking service connection for COPD, back disability, hiatal hernia, and one side of her body being smaller than the other.

The Veteran's claimed conditions, including trigeminal neuralgia, cranial nerve pain, headaches, ruptured testicle, muscle fasciculations, chronic lymphoid hyperplasia, stomach disorder, and COPD, were not shown to be related to service or any incident therein. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's respiratory disorder, diagnosed as COPD with emphysema, was not caused or aggravated by service exposure to herbicides or environmental hazards. The disease first manifested after service and is considered a direct result of the Veteran's smoking habit.