Asthma is rated on several alternatives, not one
Under §4.97, DC 6602, bronchial asthma can reach a level through any of its listed alternatives. They are not cumulative requirements, and a reader who only looks at the lung-function numbers will miss the routes that may fit better.
| Level | Any one of these |
|---|---|
| 100% | FEV-1 under 40% predicted; FEV-1/FVC under 40%; more than one attack per week with episodes of respiratory failure; daily high-dose systemic corticosteroids or immunosuppressives |
| 60% | FEV-1 40–55% predicted; FEV-1/FVC 40–55%; at least monthly physician visits for required care of exacerbations; at least three courses per year of systemic corticosteroids |
| 30% | FEV-1 56–70% predicted; FEV-1/FVC 56–70%; daily inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy; inhalational anti-inflammatory medication |
| 10% | FEV-1 71–80% predicted; FEV-1/FVC 71–80%; intermittent inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy |
What to document
Pulmonary function testing with its date and results. Prescribed medication, route, and whether use is daily or intermittent. Physician visits for exacerbations, with dates. Systemic corticosteroid courses, counted and dated — these are the alternatives people most often fail to evidence, because they live in appointment history rather than in a test result.
A brand name does not establish a percentage. What the regulation asks is the route, the frequency, and the reason.
Two cautions
The respiratory DBQ excludes sleep apnea by its own title. And overlapping respiratory diagnoses do not automatically produce separate evaluations — §4.96 restricts combining within specified code ranges.
Whether asthma is connected to service is a separate question from how it is evaluated.
Rules and forms change, and exceptions apply. Follow the instructions on your own decision letter and the linked governing sources. This site does not track your deadlines or file anything for you.
Reviewed October 6, 2026