Kidney disease decisions — 2020

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for bilateral hearing loss, coronary artery disease status post myocardial infarction with heart transplant, and kidney disease status post kidney transplant as the appellant withdrew his appeal.

The Board denied service connection for kidney cysts, finding that the Veteran's cysts are not related to exposure to herbicide agents or service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient clarification on whether PTSD aggravated hypertension, which in turn may have caused or aggravated renal dysfunction. Additional medical opinions are needed.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a kidney disability, back disability, bilateral CTS, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to lack of evidence of current disabilities. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral foot numbness, diabetes mellitus, pseudomonas bacterial infection, nocardia bacterial infection, kidney disease, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, and necrotizing lymphadenitis are all denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or chronicity within one year post-service separation.,The Veteran's service connection claim for diabetes mellitus was denied because he does not have a current diagnosis of the condition. The Board found that his intermittent episodes of low glucose levels were due to idiopathic thrombocytopenia, not diabetes.,For pseudomonas bacterial infection, nocardia bacterial infection, kidney disease, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, and necrotizing lymphadenitis, the Veteran's service treatment records are negative for any diagnoses of these conditions. None manifested to a compensable degree within one year post-service separation.,The Board found that there is no evidence of herbicide exposure in service or during the presumptive period.

The Veteran's service connection for chronic kidney disease, resection of small intestine due to radiation enteritis, and related conditions is granted based on exposure to Agent Orange during active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's applications to reopen several service connection claims, including for right foot disability, left foot disability, face discoloration, psychiatric disorder, hypertension, left knee disability, right knee disability, and kidney disease. The evidence submitted did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate these claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to an improper standard used in determining secondary service connection for kidney cysts, and a new VA opinion is needed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for kidney disorder, unspecified was received on January 6, 2015. The Board denied an earlier effective date because the claim was not filed within one year of separation from active duty.

The Board has granted an effective date of July 11, 2007 for the grant of service connection for kidney disease as secondary to service-connected gout. The earlier effective date is based on the Veteran's filings referring to specific medical records containing a reasonably ascertainable diagnosis of kidney disease.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for type II diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease with hypertension have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran’s diabetes disability warranted a 20 percent rating, as he was taking oral hypoglycemic agents but not requiring regulation of activities to control his symptoms.,For his chronic kidney disease with hypertension, the evidence did not show manifestations of persistent edema and albuminuria or generalized poor health. The Board found that the Veteran’s disability warranted a 60 percent rating based on constant albuminuria.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the need for further development and adjudication. The Veteran's claims for left ear hearing loss, sleep apnea, hypertension, headaches, colonic diverticula (claimed as abdominal pain), low back disability, right knee disability, left leg disability, right leg disability, right ankle disability, right foot disability, and kidney disability are all remanded.

The Board denied service connection for both Crohn's disease and ESRD, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing Crohn's disease was not aggravated by his military service. The ESRD is also not related to any in-service injury or disease.

The Board has determined that the remand directives have not been substantially complied with, and the Veteran's claims for service connection for Adult Polycystic Kidney Disease and Hypertension are being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board is dismissing all issues related to service connection for various disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for nephrolithiasis, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence in some cases. The Veteran must be provided with new VA examinations to assess his kidney stones, knee disabilities, and hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, a kidney disability, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and glaucoma due to exposure to herbicide agents while aboard the USS Hollister.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and outstanding private treatment records. The issues are related to various conditions including actinic keratosis, atherosclerosis lower extremities, atrial fibrillation, basal cell carcinoma left and right cheek/right nose, cervical spine stenosis, chronic kidney disease stage 3, depression, erectile dysfunction, essential hypertension, left carotid stenosis, mixed hyperlipidemia, lumbar spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, peripheral neuropathy, rheumatoid arthritis, and carotid artery stenosis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for atherosclerotic vascular disease, renal neoplasms, bilateral renal cysts, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to herbicide agent exposure. The claims are being returned for further examination and medical opinion.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to uncertainty about the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his military service, particularly at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base and Eglin Air Force Base. The AOJ is instructed to verify these alleged exposures.