Asthma Board decisions

The Veteran's service connection claims for major depression, PTSD based on personal assault, asthma (claimed as secondary to asbestos exposure), and a right knee condition were denied. The denial is due to the lack of evidence supporting these conditions or their relationship to service.

The Veteran's request for a Board hearing has been scheduled, but he moved and cannot attend the hearing. The case is being remanded to the RO in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where a Travel Board hearing should be scheduled.

The Board found that the Veteran's asthma and bronchitis did not manifest during service or within a reasonable time frame thereafter, and there is no medical evidence linking current diagnoses to his military service. The Veteran's claims for service connection were therefore denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and reopening of previously denied claims are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records, including SSA disability records and treatment records from Rodriguez Hospital and Damas Hospital in Puerto Rico. The Veteran will also be provided a notice letter explaining what evidence is needed to substantiate his claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for lung disorder, variously claimed as asthma, bronchospasm, and bilateral apical thickening is being remanded due to unclear nature of the disability and need for further medical examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Board hearing.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and needs to obtain service treatment records, emergency room records, and any other relevant medical records. The Veteran's claims for PTSD, cervical spine disability, right ankle strain, left wrist cyst, and bronchial asthma will be reconsidered based on all available evidence.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for tachycardia and asthma, including consideration of potential asbestos exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current respiratory disability, diagnosed as bronchial asthma, is causally related to his military service and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's death was not caused by or substantially contributed to by a service-connected condition, as he had no active lung cancer at the time of his death. His bronchial asthma is service connected and considered the principal cause of death.

The Board has determined that bronchial asthma and sleep apnea are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected restrictive lung disease, warranting grants of service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his psychiatric disorder, rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment from September 21, 1999, until February 6, 2007.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, restrictive lung disease, and asthma, due to asbestos exposure is being remanded for additional development.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and the need for further examination of the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's asthma and bilateral hearing loss were not incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's asthma was not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The Board found no credible evidence linking his current asthma to any incident of service.

The Veteran's service-connected respiratory problems due to lung conditions, including asthma, COPD, emphysema, and TB, are currently rated at 30 percent. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating based on current disability levels.

The Board has ordered additional development to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions, including whether they are related to his military service or undiagnosed illness due to Gulf War service.

The Veteran's asthma is currently rated at 30 percent from November 1, 2004 to February 16, 2009 and at 60 percent since February 17, 2009. The Board finds that the criteria for a higher rating are not met.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's asthma and pulmonary disorder other than asthma (COPD) are not related to his military service, and thus denied both claims.