COPD decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current respiratory disorders are not caused or aggravated by his active service, including his service-connected inactive pulmonary TB.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD is not related to service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's respiratory disorder, diagnosed as COPD and bronchitis, is related to service.,The Veteran's skin disorder, diagnosed as seborrheic keratosis, actinic keratosis, and SCC, is related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and bilateral foot disability are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions and the need for additional development.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current respiratory disorder, including COPD, is not causally related to or aggravated by his active service. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding in favor of service connection.

The Veteran's chronic bronchitis and COPD do not meet the criteria for a higher rating, as his pulmonary function tests consistently fall within the range of moderate impairment.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant through his authorized representative.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD and emphysema, including as due to asbestos exposure, is being remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses for the removal of a catheter on April 20, 2015 at Auburn Medical Center are approved and paid by VA.

The Veteran's lung disability, including asbestosis and COPD, is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and etiology of his respiratory disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have any service-connected disabilities for which he could be granted service connection. Specifically, there is no evidence of a current disability related to his military service.

The Board denied the claim as there was no evidence showing that any of the Veteran's service-connected conditions caused his death, and the medical opinions indicated that none of these conditions were related to service.

The Board found that the causes of death (acute hypoxemia, metastatic small cell carcinoma of the lung, and COPD emphysema) were not attributable to service. The Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic headaches and left temporal area burr holes were also determined not to be a principal or contributory cause of his death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted, with the exception of a few issues. The Board found that the Veteran had current diagnoses and credible evidence supporting his reported stressors related to combat experience in Vietnam. Service connection was established for PTSD based on exposure to hostile military activity.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision.

The Veteran's COPD was first manifest during service and the Board granted service connection for COPD.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a heart disability and COPD, both presumed to be due to herbicide agent exposure in Vietnam, are granted.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have an additional disability as a result of VA treatment, including lung biopsies. The Veteran's respiratory disorders are unrelated to the 1998 lung biopsy.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for vertigo and is considering multiple other claims, including those related to sleep apnea, Peyronie's disease, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, liver condition, COPD, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, and a chronic disability related to pre-diabetes and hyperglycemia. The Veteran has not met the criteria for service connection in all cases.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination to determine if COPD is related to service or sleep apnea. The Veteran's claim will be readjudicated after this.