Kidney disease decisions — 2020

The Veteran's service connection claim for a kidney condition is denied. The appeal for an increased rating for coronary artery disease, prior to February 28, 2018 and thereafter on an extraschedular basis, is also denied.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete records and the need for further medical examinations. The hypertension claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with other issues.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death due to chronic renal failure and granulomatous arteritis, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to his active military service.

The Board denied service connection for pulmonary nodules and diabetes, but remanded the issue of service connection for kidney disease. The Veteran is not service-connected for diabetes or hypertension, which precludes secondary service connection for his kidney disease.

The Veteran's renal cell carcinoma, kidney disability (nephrectomy), peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and thyroid disability were not shown during active duty or post-service. The evidence does not establish a causal relationship between these conditions and his service.,The Veteran died from cancer of the kidney, which was not present for several years following separation from service and is not shown to be etiologically related to his active service.

The Veteran's appeal is dismissed because granting the appealed issues would not result in any accrued monies owed, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal at this time.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left foot disability, right foot disability, and residuals of left medial meniscal injury were granted. The claim for service connection for insomnia was denied as it is considered a symptom of the Veteran's service-connected PTSD. Service connection for renal dysfunction was denied due to lack of evidence.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a kidney disability, residuals of a stroke (sixth nerve palsy), and migraines due to their potential secondary relationship with other service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's mental health condition is no longer at issue as he now has service connection for PTSD.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but denied service connection for left shoulder disorder, right foot disorder, left foot disorder, and cardiac and kidney disorders. Service connection was also denied for diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of hyperlipidemia, chronic kidney disease, Tietze syndrome (claimed as difficulty breathing and chest pain), DMII, hypertension, and polyuria have been dismissed.,The Veteran’s claim for a compensable evaluation for his Tietze syndrome disability has also been dismissed.

The Board denied service connection for kidney disease, finding that it is not related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for a sleep disability, including sleep apnea. The Veteran's left shoulder disability and chronic kidney disease are currently rated at 100% each, meeting the criteria for SMC based on housebound status.

The Board dismissed the claims of service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, bilateral upper extremity disorder, and proteinuria. The claim of service connection for a kidney disorder was reopened based on new evidence. Service connection for headaches and hypertension is granted, but the Veteran's hepatitis C rating remains at 10%.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hemorrhoids, microscopic hematuria, obesity/weight gain, bilateral knee disability, hypothyroidism and nodular disease, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), hypertension, gastrointestinal disability, and kidney disability have all been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not establish a causal link between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment, including prior to February 12, 2016. His chronic kidney disease with hypertension is rated at 80 percent since the appeal period began.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of a kidney disorder and SMC based on the need for aid and attendance have been dismissed because he opted into the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) review system.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, kidney stones, hemochromatosis, malaria, and hepatitis B.,For each condition, the decision stated there was no competent evidence that suggests it was incurred or aggravated during a period of active duty or ACDUTRA.

The Board has denied an earlier effective date for the award of a 60 percent rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, and the case is being remanded to consider the Veteran's September 2010 statement requesting an increased rating.,The Court has ordered that the VA examinations and opinions concerning hypertension and kidney cysts be reconsidered due to inadequate explanations in prior VA medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the DIC claim due to inadequate medical opinions regarding service connection for coronary artery disease and other conditions listed as significant contributing to the Veteran's death.