Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2015

The Veteran's hepatitis C was not productive of daily fatigue, anorexia, malaise, with substantial weight loss and hepatomegaly; or incapacitating episodes (with symptoms such as fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, arthralgia, and right upper quadrant pain) having a total duration of at least six weeks in the past 12-month period but not occurring constantly. Therefore, he is currently rated at 40% for hepatitis C.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current Hepatitis A or B, and therefore cannot establish service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have an active hepatitis infection and did not meet the criteria for service connection. The claims for cirrhosis of the liver were also denied as there was no current disability.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertension substantially or materially contributed to the cause of his death from metastatic gastric cancer.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hepatitis B, hypertension, and sleep apnea. The Veteran was not diagnosed with any of these conditions during his active duty or post-service period.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C did not originate during active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his back pain and mood disorder, have rendered him unable to engage in substantial gainful employment. The Board has determined that the criteria for a TDIU are met.

The Veteran's appeals for hepatitis C, a bilateral ear condition other than hearing loss in the right ear, and entitlement to TDIU have been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for VA purposes related to hepatitis, as he only tested positive for hepatitis A antibodies. The Board concludes that this is not a disability and thus service connection cannot be granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death, hepatocellular carcinoma, was not caused or contributed substantially to by a service-connected condition. The evidence did not support a finding that Hepatitis C, which may have been incurred in service, caused his hepatocellular carcinoma.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were withdrawn, and the Board found that there was no evidence of a heart disability, asthma, stroke and residuals of stroke, dental condition, hepatitis C, or bilateral arm nerve disability in service. The claims for diabetes and Dercum's disease were also denied due to lack of evidence of herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for Hepatitis C, finding no evidence linking his current condition to his military service. The decision also determined that there was no new and material evidence presented since the previous denial in February 2008.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's service connection claims, including obtaining his service personnel records and arranging for a VA examination of his claimed migraines.

The Veteran's hepatitis C disability has been productive of daily fatigue, malaise, and nausea with minor weight loss or incapacitating episodes (with symptoms such as fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting, arthralgia, and right upper quadrant pain) having a total duration of two to four weeks during the past 12-month period. The criteria for an initial evaluation in excess of 40 percent are not met.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been presented to reopen the claim of service connection for hepatitis C. The issue of whether there is a cervical spine disability related to service remains unresolved.

The Board has found no evidence of a blood transfusion during service and thus cannot establish service connection for hepatitis C.

The Veteran does not have hepatitis C that is attributable to his active military service. The Board denied the claim as there was no medical evidence of a nexus between events coincident with military service and the current disability.

The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed due to their death.

The Veteran's death was due to hepatocellular carcinoma, which is not service-connected and not related to his military service or any service-connected conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's Hepatitis C and deviated septum and/or sinus disability were not incurred during active military service or related to any incident of active military service.