Asthma decisions — 2019

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his bilateral knee conditions and asthma, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due solely to these conditions. The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether he can perform such work.

The Board denied service connection for COPD, gastric cancer, prostate cancer, and squamous cell carcinoma, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service or asbestos exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to hazardous materials during service and the etiology of his pulmonary disabilities.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for breathing problems, but denied the merits of the claim as there is no evidence that his current respiratory issues are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating of his lumbar spine disability, right shoulder impingement, and asthma due to lack of a VA examination. The Veteran is also entitled to an increased rating for his arthritis of the right ankle.

The Veteran's asthma is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, and the Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for vertigo, heart murmur disability, hypertension, anemia, and TDIU.

The Veteran's asthma was granted a 10% rating from November 24, 2011 to November 13, 2013 and a 30% rating thereafter. The bilateral ankle sprain disabilities were granted a 20% rating starting March 4, 2014.,The Veteran's asthma required intermittent inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy prior to November 13, 2013 but daily use of inhalational bronchodilator therapy and FEV-1/FVC of less than 70% from that date. The bilateral ankle sprain disabilities were manifested by moderate limitation of motion.

The Board has remanded the claims for asthma and COPD due to insufficient medical opinions regarding service connection.

The Veteran's income exceeded the maximum annual pension rate, thus denying a nonservice-connected pension.

The Board has remanded several issues for further examination and opinion, including service connection claims for various conditions. The Veteran's tinnitus claim was denied due to lack of a current diagnosis.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea and its relationship to his service-connected bronchial asthma.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus and sarcoidosis, but denied for allergic rhinitis. The Veteran's cause of death due to sarcoidosis is also confirmed.,The claim for asthma remains pending as it is inextricably intertwined with the service connection issue.

The Board has remanded the claims for lumbar spine disability, right toe injury, asthma, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), hypertension, headaches, and an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD, affective psychosis, and adjustment disorder due to incomplete service records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, including as due to environmental hazard exposure in the Gulf War, is being remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for depression and insomnia are dismissed. The claim of increased rating for asthma is denied, but a 30% rating is granted effective May 5, 2015. The right knee disability rating reduction from 10% to noncompensable is overturned, and the 10% rating is restored. The back disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy issues are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for asthma was dismissed due to her death while the appeal was pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for asthma, left foot bunion, and hammer toe. The issues are related to whether service connection can be established for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current respiratory disorders, including asthma and reactive airway disease, are related to his service. The VA examiner is asked to provide an opinion on this issue.

The Veteran's asthma is service connected, but the VA examiner did not address whether it was caused by asbestos exposure. The Board finds that a new examination or addendum is needed to consider all raised theories of entitlement.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as Level I in the right ear and Level II in the left ear, resulting in a non-compensable rating. The Veteran's asthma results in FEV-1 of 56 to 70 percent predicted with daily inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy.,The Veteran's asthma does not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent as his FEV-1 is between 56 and 70 percent, and he does not require at least monthly visits to a physician for exacerbations. The Veteran’s sleep apnea has not been evaluated.,The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection for sleep apnea.