The Board has granted service connection for chronic kidney disease (CKD) as secondary to hypertension, but denied service connection for a heart disability claimed as pericarditis, also secondary to hypertension.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's CKD was secondary to his hypertension. The examiner opined that high blood pressure can constrict and narrow the blood vessels in the kidneys, reducing blood flow and stopping them from working well.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart Disability (Pericarditis), Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 9, 2023
- Citation
- 23014209
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 23014209.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's CKD did not result in a GFR score of 59 mL/min/1.73 m2 or lower for at least three consecutive months during any 12-month period, nor did it require regular routine dialysis or make him eligible for a kidney transplant. Therefore, the claim for an initial compensable rating for CKD is denied.
- Granted
The Board has granted an initial 80 percent evaluation for the Veteran's Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), stage IV, effective November 18, 2025.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's hypertension requires continuous medication for control but has not manifested by diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more or systolic pressure predominantly 160 or more, nor does he have a history of diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more. As such, the initial compensable rating for hypertension is denied.,The Veteran's CKD has an unclear etiology though suspect HTN and was diagnosed prior to the decision on appeal. The Court noted that secondary service connection should be developed and adjudicated.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including obtaining SSA records beyond medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess syncope associated with DM and hypertension.
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