Asthma Board decisions

The veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting new examinations to assess his COPD with asthma, heart condition, and personality change.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right knee condition, asthma, and mild stroke due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The case is being remanded to the RO/AMC for further development and reconstruction of the veteran's claims file. The VA will search for the missing file, reconstruct as much evidence as possible, and issue a Statement of the Case regarding the claim for service connection for gonorrhea.

The Board found that the veteran's asthma preexisted service and did not permanently increase in severity during his active duty. The current respiratory disorder is not due to an incident in service, including exposure to asbestos, diesel fumes, or chemical fumes.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development and readjudication due to new evidence received, as well as issues related to service connection and TDIU.

The Board found that the veteran did not incur additional physical disability, diagnosed as left shoulder dislocation, due to VA's prescription of antihypertensive medication in April 2004. The proximate cause was not reasonably foreseeable. As for the lung disorder claim, no examination or opinion has been provided yet.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a 'breathing disorder' and residuals of radiation exposure, finding that there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service or service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's service-connected bronchial asthma alone is shown to preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and work background.

The veteran withdrew his appeal of all issues, including entitlement to an increased disability rating for postoperative residuals, lumbar disc disease; entitlement to an increased disability rating for bilateral shin splints; entitlement to a compensable disability rating for left navicular fracture; entitlement to service connection for a right knee disability; and, entitlement to service connection for asthma.

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for asbestosis, resulting in a denial of the claim.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including a new VA examination and compliance with Vazquez-Flores v. Peake requirements.

The Board has found new and material evidence to reopen the claims of service connection for chondromalacia of the knees and bronchial asthma, and these claims are now pending before the RO.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for asthma. However, it was determined that asthma did not exist prior to service and was not aggravated by active service. The other claims were also denied as there is no evidence of arthritis, hernia repair, cervical spine disorder, or low back disorder during service. The parakeratotic squamous mucosa with focal acute inflammation of the soft palate claim was also denied.

The veteran's appeal for service connection of bronchial asthma has been dismissed due to the death of the veteran during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has determined that further review is needed to determine if the veteran's current respiratory disability, including allergies and asthma, are related to his military service. The RO will arrange for a VA examination to assess this relationship.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a new VA examination and additional records, including an MRI of the lumbar spine. The veteran's asthma is also being reviewed as part of this process.

The VA denied a higher initial evaluation for asthma, finding that the veteran's condition did not meet the criteria for a 60% rating based on systemic corticosteroid use.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities meet the percentage criteria for a TDIU, but he is not able to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his medical conditions. The case is REMANDED to obtain updated treatment records and conduct an examination to assess the impact of his disabilities on his employability.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for asthma and airway hyperactivity, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted. The increased rating claim for focal segmental glomerular sclerosis with hypertension is being remanded due to inadequate VCAA notice.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bladder cancer and cluster headaches, are being remanded due to the failure of the veteran to appear at a scheduled hearing.