Kidney disease decisions — 2022

The Veteran's need for a higher level of aid and attendance, necessitating hospitalization or other institutional care, is granted from April 8, 2021.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and kidney disease, but denied service connection for lower extremity weakness.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and kidney disability, finding that the evidence did not establish a nexus to service or secondary to herbicide exposure.

The appeal for left ventricular hypertrophy is dismissed.,Service connection for kidney disease is denied.,Issues pertaining to respiratory disorder, hypothyroidism, and thoracic aorta aneurysm are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a kidney disability, finding that there was no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents and insufficient medical evidence linking his current condition to service.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of October 24, 2002 for the grant of accrued benefits due to kidney cancer. The claim was denied in April 2003 but appealed by the Veteran in March 2004. Accrued benefits are now awarded from this original filing date.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for kidney dysfunction, finding that the evidence does not support a finding that his current condition is related to an event in service or secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Board denied entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that hypertension and related conditions did not manifest in service or were otherwise not causally related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete VA treatment records and the need for an addendum opinion regarding the cause of death claim. The examiner is asked to determine if the Veteran's renal cell carcinoma was related to his service, including exposure to herbicide agents, and whether his service-connected PTSD contributed to his death.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of a VA examination for kidney cancer, which is not service-connected under presumptive exposure provisions. The Veteran's representative acknowledges this and the claim will be reviewed with a new examination.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, has been rated as 20 percent disabling. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for this condition.,Separate ratings are sought for urinary and eye disabilities secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II. These issues require additional development including obtaining medical records and clarifying current diagnoses.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for multiple myeloma, hypercalcemia, and chronic renal disease due to potential exposure to herbicides during active duty. The RO is instructed to review deck logs of ships the Veteran served on and obtain addendum opinions regarding the etiology of the conditions.

The Board dismissed all issues of entitlement to service connection as the appellant died during the appeal process.

The Board has denied the Veteran's service connection claim for a kidney disorder due to lack of evidence of current disability.,The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for prostate disorder, leukemia, and sleep disorder as additional medical opinions are needed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of an eye condition claimed as a retained foreign body in the left eye, and his vitamin D deficiency is not a disability for VA compensation purposes. The claims for service connection for hypertension, chronic kidney failure, and sleep problems are remanded due to lack of medical evidence addressing their etiology.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate VA examination opinions regarding military environmental exposures and their relation to the Veteran's cause of death. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion on whether it is approximately as likely as not that the Veteran's cause of death was related to such exposures.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information on which to decide the claim, including a need for an addendum opinion and consideration of the medical literature related to prostate cancer's potential impact on kidney disease.

The Veteran's sarcoidosis is not related to service, including exposure to contaminated water and/or asbestos at Camp Lejeune.,Multiple myeloma is not confirmed. The examiner will determine if POEMS syndrome is multiple myeloma or falls under the category of multiple myeloma and provide an opinion on its relationship to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.,POEMS syndrome is not related to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.,The Veteran's thyroid condition, including as secondary to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune and POEMS syndrome, is not related to service.,The Veteran's kidney condition, including as secondary to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune and POEMS syndrome, is not related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bladder cancer and kidney removal, have rendered him unemployable since May 1, 2010. The Board has granted a TDIU effective from that date.

The Board has denied service connection for COPD, heart disability, and kidney cancer. The issues of service connection for a heart disability due to hypertension and for kidney cancer are remanded.