Progressive lung disease (e.g., emphysema, chronic bronchitis) causing airflow blockage
Because the ratings are tied directly to breathing test results, pulmonary function test (PFT) reports are the most important medical records for this condition. These reports show your FEV-1, your FEV-1/FVC ratio, and your DLCO (SB), each expressed as a percentage of the predicted normal value for someone your age, height, and sex. Make sure your records include the actual measured values and the predicted values so the percentage can be calculated.
For the 60% level, records showing maximum oxygen consumption during an exercise test, along with documentation of a cardiorespiratory limitation, are relevant. For the 100% level, additional records matter: an echocardiogram or cardiac catheterization report showing pulmonary hypertension or right ventricular hypertrophy, hospital or emergency records documenting acute respiratory failure, or a prescription and records of use for outpatient oxygen therapy would each support that level.
Statements from you or people who know you describing how breathing difficulty affects your ability to work, walk, climb stairs, or carry out daily activities can help give context to the test numbers, though the ratings themselves are set by the objective measurements.
Conditions that are often caused or made worse by this one. If you have any of these, they may be claimable as secondary service connection.
