Kidney disease decisions — 2010

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension and chronic kidney disorder were not related to his service, as there is no medical evidence of these conditions during or immediately after his military service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected condition, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of chronic kidney disorder or chronic hypertension, and thus denied service connection for these conditions as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining missing VA treatment records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for renal insufficiency and a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims based on the absence of proteinuria or microalbuminuria since the diagnosis of diabetes.

The Veteran's benign prostatic hypertrophy is found to be service-connected, with the earliest evidence of bladder outlet obstruction occurring after separation from active duty. The Board also finds that polycystic kidney disease and polycystic liver disease are not service-connected.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including VA examinations to assess the severity of his kidney disability and diabetes mellitus.

The Board has restored the Veteran's 60 percent rating for his service-connected renal insufficiency, status post kidney transplant, based on evidence showing actual improvement in his condition under both old and new criteria.

The Veteran's death was caused by cardiopulmonary arrest due to cardiac arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, and pulmonary embolism. The VA medical expert opined that the PTSD did not contribute to his death.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including issuing a Statement of the Case (SOC) and providing notice as required by Hupp v. Nicholson.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a kidney disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including an examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death was related to his service, including presumed exposure to Agent Orange. The appellant is also seeking eligibility for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Veteran's polycystic kidney disease, hypertension, and chronic renal insufficiency with albuminuria are currently rated at 30 percent under the criteria for renal dysfunction. The evidence does not support a higher rating as there is no definite decrease in kidney function, edema, or hypertension at least 40 percent disabling.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current kidney disorder and there is no evidence linking any past or present kidney issues to his active duty service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for a kidney disorder is denied.

The Veteran's death was not caused or aggravated by any incident of service, nor may his causes of death be presumed to have incurred therein.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as he does not have a current psychiatric disability other than PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board issuing a decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete evidence and instructed the RO to obtain additional medical records from May 1981.

The Veteran's death was caused by pneumonia, and the Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the issues of accrued benefits.

The Veteran's bilateral varicose veins were incurred in active service and the Board grants service connection for this condition. The other issues are addressed but not resolved.