COPD decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's respiratory disorder, including COPD and asbestosis, is related to his active service. The appeal for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PAD of the bilateral lower extremities was aggravated by his service-connected coronary artery disease, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

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

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including a VA examination and the issuance of a SOC regarding his hearing loss rating reduction. The lung disorder claim will also be remanded to determine if service connection can be established based on presumed exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's COPD was rated at 60 percent disabling from January 15, 2011 to September 29, 2015.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issues of service connection for dizziness, sleep apnea, headaches, and COPD, all to include as due to herbicide agent exposure.

The Board found no evidence of a respiratory disability in service and concluded that the current respiratory disabilities are not related to service. The Veteran's lay statements were deemed insufficient to establish medical etiology or nexus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a pulmonary disability, including COPD, and for entitlement to TDIU. The Board found that there was no nexus between the Veteran's diagnosed COPD and other pulmonary disabilities and his military service.

The Veteran's COPD is found to be service connected, while his pleural plaques are not shown to cause any symptoms and are rated as noncompensably disabling.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II contributed substantially or materially to his cause of death. The case will be remanded for an addendum VA opinion.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected amputation of ring finger and lung disability, as well as an assessment of his need for aid and attendance or housebound status relevant to special monthly pension.

The Board finds that the Veteran is not entitled to service connection for a lung condition other than pleural calcifications, including COPD and emphysema. The evidence does not establish a medical nexus between any current lung conditions and in-service exposure or symptomatology.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's basal cell carcinoma and COPD are not related to service, including as a result of herbicide exposure. The claim for glaucoma is remanded for additional development.

The Board granted the reduction of the Veteran's coronary artery disease rating from 60% to 30%, effective February 1, 2013. The Veteran was previously rated at 60%. Service connection for a lung disability (COPD) and skin disability were denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to determine if an extraschedular TDIU rating under 38 C.F.R. � 4.16(b) is warranted due to his service-connected chronic bronchitis variant of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.

The Veteran's hypertension, GERD, prostate disability (benign prostatic hypertrophy), and lung disability (COPD) were not found to be related to service or a service-connected condition. The Board denied these claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected conditions, including those presumed to be related to Agent Orange exposure. The cause of death was determined to be cardiopulmonary failure due to non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and COPD.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed in order to make a determination on the Veteran's claims, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting further examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a pulmonary disability, including lung cancer, COPD, silicosis, and fibrosis, is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected conditions, and the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 were not met.