Kidney disease decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting medical opinions regarding whether hypertension is aggravated by service-connected diabetes mellitus and/or diabetic nephropathy. The Veteran's private treatment records are also incomplete, and additional requests for these records must be made.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, left knee disability, heart disability, psychiatric disorder including PTSD, and kidney disability due to the lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.,There was no credible evidence supporting the Veteran's assertions that he incurred or aggravated any of these disabilities during his military service.

The Veteran's cause of death is due to cancer, but the Board finds that there is insufficient evidence to establish exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand. The case is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for loss of thyroid (Grave’s Disease) and kidney failure were denied as new and material evidence was not received.,Service connection for arthritis was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, and the cases are being remanded to obtain VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evidence.

The Veteran's renal cell carcinoma was not incurred or aggravated during active service, and the Board found no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and any in-service exposure to asbestos, hydraulic fluid, PCBs, or benzene.

The claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes, low back pain, sinusitis, hypertension, GERD, painful lower extremities/myalgias, coronary artery disease (heart disease), flu virus, group C virus, adenovirus, skin disability, and right kidney disability have all been denied as not related to service or service-connected conditions.,The claim for a higher initial rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals, fractures, right toes has been remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hearing loss, kidney pain, and cervical spine disorder due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The Veteran's prostate cancer metastasized to his bones, and the Board is remanding for further development to determine if this bone cancer is related to his service-connected prostate cancer.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for further medical examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left renal cell carcinoma, which is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during service in Vietnam.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and development of his records.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and several types of peripheral neuropathy as well as kidney dysfunction and heart disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active service.

The Veteran requested to withdraw her appeals for high cholesterol and migraine headaches with aura. The Board has remanded the remaining issues: service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, a compensable rating for Raynaud's Disease, a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain, and TDIU.

The Board has dismissed the appeal because it was improperly docketed under the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act (AMA), which does not apply to this case.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional private treatment records related to the Veteran's kidney disease and his death.

The Veteran's frostbite residuals of the right index finger are granted a disability rating of 30 percent. The service connection for chronic kidney disease is remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sleep apnea and a kidney disability, including kidney stones and cysts. The Veteran's attorney submitted arguments that these conditions may be related to in-service acetylene tetrachloride exposure, but further medical opinions are needed to determine if there is a nexus between the conditions and service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus based on substitution of the Appellant as the claimant. The claims for asthma, pneumonia, kidney stones, and colon polyps have been withdrawn.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension, kidney disability, and erectile dysfunction. The opinions are needed to address whether these conditions are secondary to service-connected disabilities or herbicide exposure.