COPD decisions — 2018

The Veteran's death was caused by myocardial infarction, a service-connected disability presumed due to herbicide exposure during his time stationed at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy is related to his exposure to herbicides, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.,Regarding COPD, as there was no VA examination or medical opinion provided on this issue, it remains pending. The Veteran will be scheduled for a VA examination to determine if his COPD is related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to an inadequate VA examination in November 2015. The Veteran's service connection claim for a pulmonary disability, including COPD, is currently before the Board.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to an inadequate medical opinion in a previous VA examination. The Veteran's claim of service connection for COPD and chronic bronchitis is pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability, including asthma, COPD, chronic bronchitis, and bronchiectasis is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and review of the record.

The Board finds that the Veteran's COPD, hypertension, venous insufficiency, and other respiratory, skin, ankle, foot, knee, and erectile dysfunction conditions are not service-connected as they were not incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran did not serve in Vietnam or its inland waterways, and thus is not entitled to presumptive service connection for his claimed conditions. The evidence does not establish a link between any current disabilities and active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD is not related to his military service, including exposure to herbicides. The evidence does not support a finding of direct causation or secondary service connection.

The Veteran's COPD with emphysema is not considered to be related to his active service, including presumed exposure to herbicide agents. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD and GERD are not service-connected as secondary to his service-connected TB with pleural scarring and restrictive lung disease.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for asthma and COPD, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran claims service connection for CAD and TIA due to herbicide exposure. The Board finds the ship was not identified as operating in Vietnam's inland waterways.,The Veteran claims service connection for DM II, CAD, and TIA due to herbicide exposure. VA will need to determine if the ship operated offshore or on an inland waterway in Vietnam.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and possibly new VA examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's COPD was not shown to meet the criteria for a higher rating during the periods on appeal, and he is currently receiving a 60% evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnosis of COPD is not shown to have had its onset during service, or to be causally related to any disease, injury, or incident in service. Therefore, service connection for COPD, including as due to asbestos exposure, is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are REMANDED due to the need for additional development and examination. The case will be returned to the Board after further action.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD is etiologically related to active military service and therefore grants service connection for COPD. The hypertension issue remains pending as no VA examination was provided.

The Board has denied all service connection claims as the evidence does not establish a nexus between the Veteran's current conditions and his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's COPD and emphysema are not related to service, as they were diagnosed years after his discharge. The diseases are considered direct rather than secondary to service-connected tuberculosis.