Kidney disease decisions — 2026

The Veteran's renal cell carcinoma with liver metastasis and breast cancer (ductal carcinoma in situ) were not incurred during active duty, ACDUTRA, or INACDUTRA. The VA examiners found insufficient evidence linking the cancers to service exposures.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and chronic kidney disease due to a failure to provide relevant VA records, and because service connection for chronic kidney disease secondary to service-connected hypertension is reasonably raised.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for CKD, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and OSA due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for hypertension was dismissed due to untimely filing. The Board also remanded the issues regarding compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for kidney failure and congestive heart failure.

The Veteran's kidney disease associated with DMII is currently rated at 60 percent, and the appeal for an increased rating or earlier effective date has been denied.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims of service connection for ischemic heart disease, kidney damage, brain tumor, and hypertension as they were not pending at the time of his death.

The Veteran's papillary renal cell carcinoma is granted service connection. For the entire appeal period, a 70 percent rating for PTSD is granted and he is granted entitlement to TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding whether the appellant's pre-existing left kidney disorder clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service, and if it was aggravated during service. The claim will be further developed.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus type II, and kidney disability. The case is being remanded to obtain additional development.,Service connection was not granted as there is no persuasive evidence linking the Veteran's current disabilities to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied for central renal vein occlusion of the right eye, hernia, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT), and prostate cancer. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, GERD, headaches, a kidney condition, and bilateral flat foot (pes planus) due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral upper and lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted the TDIU claim based on this finding.

The Board granted SMC based on the need for aid and attendance, but the RO's subsequent decisions were found to be invalid due to a claims processing error. The appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment prior to May 23, 2024.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's hypertension and its relation to service, as well as whether it contributed to his death.

The Veteran's cervical strain is directly related to his military service. His HTN, CKD, GERD, left and right leg varicose veins, OSA, and right knee arthritis are all secondary to his service-connected disabilities, with obesity as an intermediate step.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and a left kidney disability due to inadequate medical examinations in the past, and because of a duty to assist error regarding private treatment records. The Veteran will need to provide information about his private treatment and VA will obtain these records.

The Veteran's cause of death (ischemic bowel) is granted as service connected. The Board finds that the Veteran's renal cell carcinoma and hypertension, both presumed due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam, are also service-connected.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for morbid obesity, difficulty walking, allergic rhinitis, otitis media, gout, sleep apnea, hyperglycemia, kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy), polyneuropathy of the left upper extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy), polyneuropathy of the right upper extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy), polyneuropathy of the left lower extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy), and polyneuropathy of the right lower extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy) are denied. The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinea pedis and onychomycosis are also denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for difficulty walking is denied as it is a symptom of other diagnosed conditions, including back disability, bilateral knee disability, and pes planus. The Veteran's claim for service connection for allergic rhinitis is denied due to lack of medical nexus between the condition and in-service incurrence. The Veteran's claim for service connection for otitis media is denied as there are no contemporaneous records indicating a diagnosis prior to separation from service.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for gout, sleep apnea, hyperglycemia, kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy), polyneuropathy of the left upper extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy), polyneuropathy of the right upper extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy), polyneuropathy of the left lower extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy), and polyneuropathy of the right lower extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy) are denied. The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinea pedis is denied as there are no contemporaneous records indicating a diagnosis prior to separation from service.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for gout, sleep apnea, hyperglycemia, kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy), polyneuropathy of the left upper extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy), polyneuropathy of the right upper extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy), polyneuropathy of the left lower extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy), and polyneuropathy of the right lower extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy) are denied. The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinea pedis is denied as there are no contemporaneous records indicating a diagnosis prior to separation from service.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for gout, sleep apnea, hyperglycemia, kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy), polyneuropathy of the left upper extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy), polyneuropathy of the right upper extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy), polyneuropathy of the left lower extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy), and polyneuropathy of the right lower extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy) are denied. The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinea pedis is denied as there are no contemporaneous records indicating a diagnosis prior to separation from service.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for gout, sleep apnea, hyperglycemia, kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy), polyneuropathy of the left upper extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy), polyneuropathy of the right upper extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy), polyneuropathy of the left lower extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy), and polyneuropathy of the right lower extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy) are denied. The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinea pedis is denied as there are no contemporaneous records indicating a diagnosis prior to separation from service.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for gout, sleep apnea, hyperglycemia, kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy), polyneuropathy of the left upper extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy), polyneuropathy of the right upper extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy), polyneuropathy of the left lower extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy), and polyneuropathy of the right lower extremity (diabetic peripheral neuropathy) are denied. The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinea pedis is denied as there are no contemporaneous records indicating a diagnosis prior to separation from service.

The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there is no evidence to support a causal relationship between the Veteran's military service and his death.