Kidney disease Board decisions

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased rating claims have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's kidney cancer is found to be the result of his in-service exposure to hazardous materials, and service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for service connection for chronic kidney disease as a complication of hypertension, finding that the issue was not within the scope of the Veteran's initial claim and there was no evidence suggesting a relationship between hypertension and chronic kidney disease until the September 2025 application.

The Veteran's kidney cancer residuals and sleep apnea are remanded for further review due to inadequate opinions in the January 2025 rating decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus type II and bilateral diabetic polyneuropathy, result in significant limitations that necessitate regular aid and attendance. The Board has granted SMC based on the need for aid and attendance.

The appeal of the claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed.,Service connection for hypertension and OSA are granted, with secondary service connection for insomnia disorder as secondary to OSA also being granted.,Service connection for rhinitis, sinusitis, cholecystectomy (gallbladder condition), nephrolithiasis (kidney stones), and a respiratory disability (including asthma and dyspnea) is granted.

The Veteran's tinnitus is rated at the maximum allowable under VA guidelines, and no higher rating can be granted.,Right ear hearing loss has been found to be service-connected due to exposure to noise during military service. The Veteran now receives a non-compensable rating for this condition.,Right knee arthritis has been linked to an in-service injury, but the Board is unable to determine if it was caused by environmental chemical exposure or another factor.,Left radical nephrectomy, status post renal cancer, has been found to be service-connected due to exposure to environmental chemicals during military service.

The Veteran's claim for additional SMC under 38 U.S.C. 1114(p) at a rate higher than the standard (m) was denied due to his service-connected disabilities resulting in need for aid and attendance, which already qualified him for the maximum SMC rating.

The Veteran's cause of death was not caused by or related to his service-connected conditions, and there is no evidence that the causes of death were due to herbicide exposure. Service connection for cause of death is denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for warts on bilateral feet, a chronic kidney condition, and a heart condition. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to military service.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches, combined with other disabilities, meet the criteria for a TDIU rating and SMC at the housebound rate.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for kidney disease and liver condition has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for chronic kidney disease, sleep apnea, systemic lupus erythematosus (autoimmune disease), neuropathy, heart palpitations, COPD, and PTSD due to exposure to herbicide agents or other chemicals used to spray foliage during his service in Korea. The AOJ is instructed to make reasonable efforts to obtain community care treatment records, develop the Veteran's reported in-service stressor, and schedule a VA examination for COPD.

The appeal for service connection for adjustment disorder is dismissed as moot.,The appeal for service connection for depression (MDD) is dismissed as moot.,Service connection for migraines has been granted, effective September 25, 2024.,Service connection for a kidney disability to include kidney stones (nephrolithiasis) is denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for acute kidney injury, finding that it is related to an in-service physical fitness test injury during inactive duty training.

The Veteran's prostate cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and DM II are presumed to be related to his exposure to herbicide agents in service. Service connection is granted for these conditions as well as for ED secondary to DM II, kidney disability (diagnosed as diabetic CKD and kidney cancer), and CKD secondary to DM II. Hypertension is not considered presumptively related to herbicide exposure.

The appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (AML) is dismissed. A total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) from July 6, 2015 is granted. An effective date of July 6, 2015, but no earlier, for basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance based on permanent and total disability status is granted. A special monthly compensation (SMC) at the statutory housebound rate from July 6, 2015 is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction, left kidney cancer, and neuro-cognitive disorder with depressive disorder from January 8, 2020 was denied. The Veteran's headaches were granted a 10% rating effective January 8, 2020, but the Veteran's vertigo did not meet the criteria for a greater than 10% rating.

The appeal for service connection of end stage renal disease and ureterolithiasis is dismissed due to the death of the appellant while the appeal was pending.

The Veteran's kidney stone condition is rated at a 10 percent rating, but no more. The medical evidence shows occasional attacks of colic without infection or catheter drainage.