Kidney disease decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypertension, left and right shoulder disabilities, back disability, pain and/or fatigue disability (chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia), and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease with nephrolithiasis to obtain additional evidence.

The Veteran was granted an initial rating of 20 percent for neoplasm of the kidney, but no higher. The claim for a higher initial rating for eczema was denied.

The Board granted an effective date of June 8, 2023, for the award of service connection for lacunar stroke and chronic kidney disease.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for chronic kidney disease, valvular heart disease with atrial fibrillation and heart failure preserved ejection fraction (claimed as coronary artery disease), hypertension, and rheumatoid arthritis to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board remands the case for further development to obtain a clarifying addendum opinion regarding the nature and likely etiology of the Veteran's left adrenal gland carcinoma, including whether it is related to service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board granted service connection for kidney stones as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

The Board granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD from April 8, 2017, but denied an increased rating in excess of 70 percent from April 5, 2018. The Board also remanded several issues related to effective dates and service connection.

The Board granted entitlement to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, as his metastatic renal cell carcinoma was related to toxic exposure risk activity in service.

The Board remands the claims for additional development, including a TERA memorandum and medical opinions regarding the Veteran's hypertension and renal disease.

The Board denied service connection for hyperlipidemia and remanded the claims for anemia, chronic kidney disease, heart disability (including atrial fibrillation), vascular disability, and vitamin D deficiency due to inadequate medical evidence.

The Board granted restoration of a 100 percent rating for hypothyroidism and SMC, from August 1, 2024, but remanded the issue of entitlement to a rating in excess of 30 percent for chronic kidney disease.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for testicular and kidney cancer due to a need for new VA medical opinions regarding their etiology, specifically addressing toxic exposure risk activities.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral shin splints, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor. The other claims were remanded for further development.

The Board dismissed the claim for service connection for atherosclerosis, claimed as coronary artery disease, to include as secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II, due to a prior grant of service connection by the AOJ.

The Board remands the appeal to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the potential service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, specifically focusing on the roles of PTSD and CAD in aggravating other conditions that contributed to his death.

The Board denied service connection for sinusitis, gastrointestinal polyps, and renal kidney tumor as the evidence did not support a finding of a current disability or a nexus to service.

The Board granted effective dates of September 27, 2017, for the award of service connection for lumbar degenerative disc disease with ankylosis spondylitis and cervical degenerative disc disease with ankylosis spondylitis, left hip arthritis, and renal cell carcinoma. The decision also granted a 10 percent disability rating for hypertension and a TDIU on and after December 4, 2018.

The Board remands the claim for a compensable rating for neoplasm of the kidney to obtain any outstanding VA treatment records from May 2023 onwards, as there is evidence suggesting possible recurrence of kidney cancer.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for accrued benefits, as there was no evidence that a claim for prostate cancer or other conditions was pending at the time of the Veteran's death.

The Board granted service connection for right and left ear hearing loss but denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, chronic kidney disease, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and remanded the claim for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).