The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, tobacco and/or nicotine dependence, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema, and a rating in excess of 30% for schizophrenia. The evidence did not establish that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no history suggestive of dependence on tobacco despite the veteran's smoking habit over 46 years, including during his active duty when he smoked between one half and one pack per day.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 24, 2004
- Citation
- 0423279
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 0423279.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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