Asthma Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) and asthma, finding that there was no current diagnosis of PTSD that comported with DSM-IV, and that asthma did not manifest within one year of separation from service.

The Veteran's claimed conditions are not service-connected as they were not shown during his active duty service from 1963 to 1966, and there is no evidence of their onset or aggravation due to such service. The disorders are more likely related to the Veteran's National Guard service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical evidence and scheduling VA examinations to assess his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder, including chronic bronchitis and asthma, as well as an initial compensatory rating for the residuals of a fracture of the mandible were denied due to lack of evidence showing current disabilities related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's tachycardia was not incurred in service and denied his claim. The Board also noted that asthma is secondary to asbestos exposure but did not address its service connection.

The Veteran's asthma was diagnosed and treated during service, and the Board finds that there is no clear and unmistakable evidence that the condition existed prior to service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for asthma is granted.

The Board denied the claims for service connection for asthma, a spot on the left lung, bilateral hearing loss disability, thrombocytopenia, and dermatophytosis of bilateral feet. The appeal was not about service connection for herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's death was found to be service-connected, and the appellant submitted a timely claim for accrued benefits. The Board finds that the appellant's claim of entitlement to special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and asthma were not manifested during his active military service, are not shown to be causally or etiologically related to his active service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including respiratory disorders and ankle, hand, knee, and hip issues. The Veteran's claims were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's asthma was rated at 30 percent prior to August 6, 2005 and at 100 percent from that date. The Board found the evidence supported a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current lung disability, asthma, is related to his in-service herbicide exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's cause of death and for several other conditions, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for asthma and a right hand injury, finding that there was no evidence of permanent aggravation during service and that his condition existed prior to service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim to reopen his previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for bronchial asthma must be remanded due to insufficient notification regarding the bases for previous denials.

The Board denied reopening the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to lack of new and material evidence, as no evidence was provided that related his death to his service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions and their relationship to service.

The Veteran's respiratory disability, characterized as asthma with x-ray evidence of COPD and emphysema, warrants a 30 percent rating due to the need for daily inhalational anti-inflammatory/bronchodilator therapy.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder and finds that new and material evidence has been presented. The Veteran's current diagnoses of asthma, restrictive airways disease, and reactive airways disease are at least in equipoise with his in-service treatment history, raising a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including an examination to determine the etiology of any left eye disability and a Statement of the Case on his claim for an initial disability rating greater than 10 percent for asthma with pleural plaquing and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.