Kidney disease decisions — 2021

The Veteran's initial rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Veteran's hypertension is granted at a 10% rating prior to November 21, 2019 and denied thereafter. The Veteran's sinusitis is denied. The Veteran's acute renal failure is granted at a 30% rating prior to August 16, 2018 and denied thereafter. The Veteran's gout is denied. The Veteran's PTSD with depressive disorder is denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for renal insufficiency as secondary to his service-connected diabetes and hypertension disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for decreased memory, left ankle condition, and right ankle condition due to lack of a current diagnosis and insufficient evidence linking these conditions to service.,Service connection was also denied for anemia, hypertension, kidney condition, left knee condition, and right knee condition as the preponderance of the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's cause of death was not due to service-connected disability. The Board denied the claim as there is no evidence linking the Veteran’s conditions to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,For kidney disease, skin disability, rhinitis, and acute pharyngitis, service connection has been remanded as there are insufficient opinions provided regarding their etiology.

The claim for service connection for mixed hyperlipidemia was denied as new and material evidence was not submitted. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, anemia, chronic kidney disease, respiratory disability, rheumatoid arthritis, and psychiatric disability were granted due to in-service noise exposure during combat in Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new evidence indicating potential exposure to herbicide agents during service, which may be related to the Veteran's disabilities. The RO must now determine if diabetes mellitus is related to service and adjudicate the secondary service connection claims in light of this determination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain VA treatment records and for an addendum medical opinion regarding his sleep apnea. The TDIU claim will be considered again as part of the increased PTSD rating claim.

The Board denied service connection for aortic aneurysm, stage three chronic kidney disease, polycystic kidney disease, and stroke due to lack of in-service incurrence or predicates, and the weight of evidence failed to establish any etiological relationship with exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic kidney disease and anemia, both found to be related to service.,Service connection was denied for hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and TDIU due to depression disorder.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development due to inadequate examination reports.

The Board has granted service connection and secondary service connection for various conditions, including type II diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, coronary artery disease, diabetic retinopathy, depressive and anxiety disorders with insomnia, chronic anemia, and GERD. The effective dates are not specified as the appeal is based on reopening of previously denied claims.

The Veteran's kidney stones were granted service connection as they manifested within one year of separation from active duty. The right kidney cyst is remanded for further examination and etiology determination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his ratings for various disabilities, including renal cell carcinoma and hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and chronic kidney disease due to inadequate compliance with previous remand instructions. The VA medical opinions provided are deemed insufficient.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. The issues of secondary service connection for hypertension and chronic kidney disease to coronary artery disease are remanded.,Service connection is also granted for TDIU due to all service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including those of the right and left hands, knees, ankles, and a cardiac condition. The issues are related to toxic exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Board denied service connection for kidney cancer and skin cancer, finding that the conditions did not manifest within a presumptive period or due to herbicide agent exposure.,The Veteran's kidney cancer was first diagnosed in 1983, many years after his separation from service. The VA examiner concluded that there is insufficient evidence to support a connection between the Veteran’s herbicide agent exposure and his kidney cancer.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims as the Veteran died during the appeal process.

The Veteran's renal cell carcinoma, status post right nephrectomy and adrenalectomy with residual left kidney failure, is granted an evaluation of 80 percent. The Veteran also receives a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.