COPD Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate condition, respiratory disorder including asthma and COPD, hypertension, and hypertensive cardiovascular or arteriosclerotic heart disease were denied as the evidence does not show these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's respiratory condition is not due to, or the result of, Agent Orange exposure and was not proximately caused or aggravated by any other incident of service.

The Board found that the Veteran's COPD is not related to his military service and denied his claim. The residuals of lung surgery are presumed due to Agent Orange exposure, but there is no evidence linking it to current disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a lung disability, to include COPD and pulmonary fibrosis, that is the result of disease or injury incurred in or aggravated during active military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA audiological examination and additional COPD treatment records. The initial rating for bilateral hearing loss remains under review, as does the issue of an increased rating for COPD.

The Veteran's respiratory disability including COPD and asthma was not incurred in or aggravated by his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD is related to his exposure to environmental hazards in service, and thus grants service connection for COPD.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, including asthma and COPD, due to asbestos exposure. The evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the current respiratory disorders began in service.

The Board has remanded the case for recalibration of the Veteran's radiation dose estimates and further development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA examinations and updating medical records. The issues of service connection for COPD as due to an undiagnosed illness and secondary service connection for hypertension are being addressed.

The Veteran's cause of death was determined to be myocardial infarction, with underlying immediate causes being congestive heart failure and COPD. The Board found the medical evidence in equipoise, granting service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for neck/cervical spine disorder, low back disorder, and COPD are being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining medical records and an examination.

The Board has granted service connection for COPD, finding that the Veteran's current lung disability is related to his periods of active service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current respiratory conditions (COPD, pneumonia, and bronchitis) are not service-connected as they were not causally related to his active service. The most probative medical evidence indicated that these conditions are more likely due to his long-term smoking habit.

The Board found that COPD was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection. The Board also noted that hypertension, while present after discharge, did not have a direct relationship to service.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have any restrictive impairment resulting from his service-connected right upper lobectomy, and concluded that the criteria for a compensable rating are not met.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current lung disability, to include COPD, associated with active service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to incomplete records and the need for a vocational rehabilitation examination. The RO will obtain any missing Social Security Administration (SSA) records, including those from March 2002 to April 2007, and schedule a VA vocational rehabilitation examination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining SSA records and providing a VA examination to address the issues of service connection and aggravation.

The Veteran's current respiratory disorder, diagnosed as COPD, is not considered to have been incurred in service. The Board finds the preponderance of evidence against a link between his current condition and his military service.