Kidney disease decisions — 2018

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of renal cell carcinoma, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his military service and the condition. The Board also determined that he did not meet the criteria to be considered a radiation-exposed veteran.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to his failure to report for VA examinations and requests for a rescheduling of an examination. The issues of service connection for swelling in the pubic region, kidney disability, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and respiratory disability are now pending.

The Veteran's lung cancer is granted service connection due to in-service asbestos exposure. The Veteran's kidney cancer is denied as secondary to his lung cancer.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The asbestosis claim was not granted higher than the current 60% rating, while the duodenal ulcer claims were also not granted higher than the current 10-20% ratings. Service connection for kidney disorder, gout, erectile dysfunction, and sleep apnea were all denied.

The Veteran's nonservice-connected pension claim for the period prior to October 1, 2017 was denied as he did not meet the permanent and total disability requirement due to his non-service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for heart disorder, kidney disorder, anemia, and hypertension were denied as there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the cause of the Veteran's death and its relation to his military service, particularly concerning asbestos exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, and acute hepatitis with kidney and liver problems are denied. The Veteran is granted a 30 percent evaluation for right ulnar neuropathy prior to August 21, 2014, but his claim for higher ratings for PTSD from that date forward remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. No service connection decisions were made.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to new and material evidence, as well as issues related to hypertension, kidney disorder, stroke residuals, and PTSD. The Veteran is also requested to provide Social Security Administration records.

The Veteran's case is being remanded for an examination to assess the severity of his service-connected residual of a kidney cyst removal, as there are conflicting diagnoses and symptoms.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for various conditions, including obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, basal cell carcinoma, diabetes mellitus, adrenal gland tumor, and primary aldosteronism. The remand requires further examination to determine if these conditions are related to exposure to herbicides during active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for initial compensable disability evaluations for his service-connected bilateral renal artery stenosis, post-surgical state excision of thrombotic hemorrhoids, kidney stones, and tension headaches due to a lack of recent VA examinations addressing the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and examinations.,A VA examination is required to determine if the Veteran’s chronic kidney disease is related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for Congestive Heart Failure with valvular heart disease status post heart valve replacement and secondary service connection for kidney failure due to service-connected diabetes mellitus type II (DM type II). The decision found that there was no evidence of a current disability during or within one year after service, and the Veteran's condition did not qualify under presumptive provisions. The Board also noted conflicting medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's kidney failure and his service-connected DM type II.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and evaluation due to unclear issues, potential additional VA treatment records needed, and need for a new examination.

The Board dismissed the claims for chronic kidney disease, hyperlipidemia, and other conditions due to withdrawal by the appellant.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative arthritis in multiple joints (excluding the low back), an eye disability, sinusitis, bronchitis, kidney disease, erectile dysfunction, and skin disability. The decision also dismissed appeals for residuals of malaria and skin cancer.

The claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine is dismissed. The Veteran's cervical spine disability and kidney disability are granted as secondary to his service-connected low back disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus type 2 (diabetes), obstructive sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction as secondary to diabetes, hypertension as secondary to diabetes, and renal dysfunction as secondary to diabetes are all granted. The Board found the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand.