Kidney disease Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and providing a nexus opinion regarding the cause of death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and chronic renal failure are not fully resolved due to inconsistencies in his reported stressors and military service, leading to a mixed disposition. The Veteran's psychiatric conditions may be related to his military service but there is insufficient evidence to establish direct service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's exposure to toxic chemicals while stationed at Naval Air Station Agana in Guam. The appellant seeks service connection for cause of death resulting from Hodgkin's disease and renal failure, which is reopened based on new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain his service treatment records and provide him with adequate VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease. The matter will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his withdrawal prior to the Board making a decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to determine the etiology of sleep apnea and readjudication of his service connection claims.

The Veteran's hypertension with mild renal insufficiency has not met the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for hypertension and granted it, as the evidence received since the last denial is new and material. The Veteran was diagnosed with hypertension within a year of his separation from active duty.,Service connection for kidney disease is also granted as secondary to the previously established service-connected hypertension.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for any of the claimed conditions, including right foot pain, left leg pain, inability to walk fast, inability to put pressure on fingers, right ankle disability, back disability, tendonitis of the left elbow, bilateral hearing loss disorder, psychiatric disability (claimed as bipolar disorder), diabetes mellitus, visual acuity disorder (claimed as secondary to diabetes mellitus), peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities (claimed as secondary to diabetes mellitus), and kidney failure (claimed as secondary to diabetes mellitus).

The Veteran's appeals have been withdrawn by his representative in October 2016.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension and kidney disability are not related to service, as there is no evidence of these conditions in service or within one year post-service. The Board also noted that the Veteran did not provide VA with medical records from the period between his discharge and 2005.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in the need for regular aid and attendance, which has been granted.

The Veteran's kidney disability, consisting of nephrolithiasis/urolithiasis (renal, ureteral, or bladder calculi), is found to be related to his in-service exposure to toxic chemicals. His claim for a rating increase remains pending.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his VA treatment records.

The Veteran's death was not due to a service-connected disability. The criteria for DIC benefits pursuant to 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 were not met as the Veteran did not have a service-connected disability rated as totally disabling for at least 10 years immediately preceding his death.

The Veteran's death was caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, which substantially contributed to his cause of death. The Board finds that the evidence is at least equally balanced in terms of whether service-connected disability substantially contributed to the Veteran's death.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for renal cancer and finds that it is as likely as not related to exposure to Agent Orange during active duty. Service connection is therefore granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current prostate cancer, epidermal cyst (neck), bilateral kidney cysts, and hepatic granulomata are not etiologically related to service, specifically exposure to non-ionizing radiation in service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is service-connected due to herbicide exposure in the Korean DMZ. The Board has also determined that his kidney failure may be secondary to his service-connected diabetes.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for kidney disorder, hypertension, and residuals of stroke. The Board is dismissing these matters as there are no longer any issues on appeal.