COPD Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted. The remaining issues remain pending.

The VA determined that there was no direct evidence linking the Veteran's COPD to his active service, and the medical opinions provided did not support a finding of aggravation by his service-connected lung cancer.

The Board found that a lung disability other than lung cancer was not incurred in or aggravated by active duty service and is not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability, including diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of COPD, and thus cannot establish service connection for this condition. The claim for OSA is remanded as there was inadequate rationale provided in the VA examination.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary to determine the relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and his active service, including whether any are related to exposure to herbicide agents in Thailand.

The Board has ordered remand to obtain additional medical opinions and compliance with prior remand instructions. The appeal will be returned for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and COPD are not related to his service, with no evidence of in-service noise exposure or respiratory injury. The claims for service connection have been denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory condition, including asthma, COPD, and bronchitis, is being remanded due to inadequate medical examinations. The VA will obtain an opinion that takes into consideration the conceded asbestos exposure in-service and other exposures such as smoke inhalation.

The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and the appellant did not meet the income requirements for VA pension benefits.

The Veteran's COPD is presumed to be due to his service in the Republic of Vietnam, where he was exposed to herbicides. The Board has decided that a VA examination should be conducted and additional medical records obtained before deciding this case.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current lung disease, diagnosed as COPD, is due to his history of smoking and not asbestos exposure. Therefore, service connection for a pulmonary disability, including asbestosis, is denied.

The Veteran withdrew the appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for a dental disorder prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has determined that a new examination is needed to clarify the nature and severity of the Veteran's COPD with spontaneous partial pneumothorax, as well as its relationship to other conditions. The claim will be remanded for this purpose.

The Board has granted service connection for M.G.U.S. and secondary service connection for sensori-motor axonal polyneuropathy (claimed as peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities). The Veteran's COPD is also found to be related to his herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for intestinal bleeding has been denied as there is no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.,The Veteran's emphysema with COPD has been granted a disability rating of 60 percent, effective from June 14, 2017.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, diverticulitis, asthma, COPD, diabetes mellitus, PTSD, stroke, bowel cancer, bilateral hearing loss, headaches, hernia, sleep apnea, and nerve damage. The reasons given were that there was no evidence of a causal relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's active service.

The Veteran's death was caused by multisystem organ failure, acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The Board found that these conditions are not related to his military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's death was caused by his own history of smoking, not by any service-connected disability. The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected foot disabilities did not contribute to or cause his terminal respiratory conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's asthma is proximately due to his prolonged exposure to extreme cold and coal ash while on active duty, and therefore service connection for asthma is granted.

The Veteran's COPD has been rated at 10 percent, the minimum compensable rating. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence supports this rating.