The Board finds that the veteran's lung disability is secondary to his nicotine dependence, which he developed during service. The additional pulmonary disability resulting from the March 1974 surgery is also considered secondary to his nicotine dependence.
The deciding factor: The expert opinion indicates that the veteran became nicotine dependent during service and continued smoking after service, leading to his current lung disease.
- Claimed conditions
- Pulmonary Disability, Nicotine Dependence
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 21, 2000
- Citation
- 0033396
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0033396.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
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- Denied
The Board denied reopening of the claims for service connection for various conditions, including nicotine dependence, coronary artery disease, neuropathy of the legs, loss of vision in the left eye, cataracts, atrial fibrillation, obesity, cerebrovascular accident, diabetes mellitus, porokeratosis, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. The Board found that new evidence did not establish a relationship to service.
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