Kidney disease decisions — 2004

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for specially adaptive housing, special home adaptation, and aid and attendance benefits due to conflicting opinions and incomplete medical records.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for multiple myeloma, Type I diabetes mellitus, nephropathy, uremia and renal artery stenosis, peripheral neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy, hypertension, and coronary artery disease as due to exposure to herbicides (Agent Orange) during service.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and kidney failure, finding no evidence of a nexus to service.

The Board has determined that the case must be remanded for further development and readjudication due to new evidence submitted by the appellant.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death and eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits under Chapter 35, finding that there was no evidence linking his death to any in-service conditions or a service-connected disability.

The Board found that the veteran's renal disease is not related to his period of active or reserve service and may not be presumed to have been incurred therein. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death was not related to any service-connected disability, and thus denied both claims for service connection for the cause of death and eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA).

The veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected renal failure requiring regular hemodialysis is remanded for further development.

The veteran's claim for special monthly pension at the housebound rate was granted effective July 11, 2000, based on his disabilities.

The veteran died from chronic myelogenous leukemia, which was not service-connected. The death was not caused by a service-connected disability.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for the claims of service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease, diabetic retinopathy, liver disease and renal insufficiency as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that his varicose veins did not contribute to his spinal cord infarct and renal failure/uremia.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a cardiovascular disability and is remanding the case to further develop the record, including obtaining missing service medical records and considering new evidence. The issues of service connection for diabetes mellitus, degenerative arthritis of both hands, and kidney disorder are also being remanded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and kidney stones, as well as his claim for service connection for PTSD. The Board also found that new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen claims for back and eye disorders.

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death. The appellant was denied because the provided evidence did not relate any post-service findings to his service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current kidney disability and therefore service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board found that the veteran's left ankle disability, kidney disability, bilateral foot disability, and back disability were not incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current heart or kidney disorder that is related to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The veteran's death was not caused by any of his service-connected disabilities, and there is no evidence that they contributed to his death. The medical records do not show a causal connection between the veteran's renal failure and his service-connected conditions.

The veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 60 percent for arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, service connection for dysentery and malaria, and special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound have been denied. The claims for service connection for beriberi and/or malnutrition and hypertension were not reopened.