Kidney disease decisions — 2024

The Veteran's hypertension and renal disease, including manifestations of anemia, are granted for accrued benefits purposes as they were caused by events during his active-duty military service.

The Veteran's heart condition, hypertension, kidney disorder, and seizure disorder were not found to be service-connected.,Pension benefits prior to January 15, 2012, were denied as the Veteran was deemed employable.

The Board has found new and relevant evidence submitted in connection with the supplemental claim, warranting readjudication of the claim for service connection for CKD as secondary to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and procedural errors. The issues include PTSD, anxiety, back disability, prostate cancer, intestinal disorder, erectile dysfunction, kidney disorder, and abdominal disability.

Service connection for hypothyroidism is granted due to herbicide agent exposure in service.,An initial rating of 60 percent, but no greater, is granted for kidney disease based on GFR readings from March and October 2023.,Service connection for GERD is remanded as the evidence does not support a finding that it is due to kidney impairment.,Service connection for sleep apnea secondary to kidney disease is remanded as there are conflicting opinions regarding its etiology.,Service connection for hyperthyroidism is remanded as the opinion did not address herbicide agent exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a renal disability and vision disability due to exposure at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The AOJ is instructed to obtain all relevant medical records and provide the Veteran with an updated VA examination addressing his renal disability.

The Veteran's claim for increased disability ratings and service connection was granted, with a rating of 40 percent for diabetes mellitus with chronic kidney disease. The appellant is eligible to attorney fees in the amount of $1,727.28 from past-due benefits awarded in November 2022.

The Board has granted service connection for lung cancer, kidney cancer and removal, and bladder cancer, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his in-service herbicide exposure in Panama.

The Board has dismissed all claims for service connection and a compensable rating for various conditions due to the appellant's death during the appeal process.

The Veteran's appeal for a TDIU is dismissed. The Board has also remanded the issue of an earlier effective date for service connection due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death, finding that there was no evidence to support exposure to herbicide agents during service and thus denying service connection on a presumptive basis. The Board also found insufficient evidence to establish direct or secondary service connection for any conditions contributing to the Veteran's death.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia (claimed as urinary frequency and voiding dysfunction), and chronic kidney disease. The evidence did not support a current disability or a link to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral chronic kidney disease, finding that there was not a causal relationship between his current diagnosis and his time in service, including occupational exposure to paint. The evidence did not show any symptoms of kidney disease during active duty or within one year after discharge, and the VA examiner concluded it is less likely than not related to service.

The Veteran's kidney stones and residuals of ureteral stones are currently rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds that there is not sufficient evidence to warrant a higher rating as they do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for kidney stones, including residual(s) of kidney stones, was not reopened due to lack of new and relevant evidence.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension was not reopened due to lack of new and relevant evidence.,The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of VA-recognized hearing loss during the pendency of the claim.,The Veteran's claim for type II diabetes mellitus was denied as there is no evidence that it began during service or is related to an in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran's claim for PTSD was denied as there is no evidence of a current psychiatric disability at any time during or approximate to the pendency of the claim.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral glaucoma, multiple bilateral renal cysts, and sleep apnea due to a lack of VA medical opinions addressing the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C and remanded the issues of service connection for a kidney disability, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disability, and secondary polycythemia. The Veteran's claims are being returned to VA for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for kidney impairment and occlusion and stenosis of bilateral carotid arteries due to insufficient evidence on record.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral eye disability, bilateral hearing loss, type II diabetes mellitus (insulin dependence), bilateral kidney condition, erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and acquired psychiatric disability were all denied as there is no persuasive evidence of a current disability during or shortly before the pendency of the claim.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are based on his exposure to hazardous noise in military service. However, the VA examiner found that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability and noted that there was no significant shift in hearing thresholds beyond test variability from the Veteran's entrance to separation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for TBI, GERD, headaches, and kidney disability due to a lack of current diagnoses or causal relationship between these conditions and service. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of a TBI, his GERD was diagnosed 12 years after separation from service, and his kidney disability was diagnosed 30 years after separation from service.